The Shadows
by HermioneJackson22
Summary: For as long as Naruto could remember, she had always had the ability to see and talk to ghosts. She had always tried her best to help them and so it wasn't a surprise that she would accept one ghost request to help her with her son. Helping him was the plan not liking him and now Naruto don't know what to do.
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note:****:I have this idea stuck in my head for such a long time now that I decided to make this into a fanfic. If you don't like FemNaruto then I suggest that you don't read this since this is a FemNaruto fanfic.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

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The village of Konoha was a village well known for believing in the will-of-fire and was often known as a strong village that had not only survived both shinobi wars but won it. The villagers were often seen as kind, caring people well everyone but one Naruto Uzumaki.

If people were to ask her on her opinion of the villagers, the young blonde would simply answered that everything was not as it seems or that even the most prettiest of gardens would have weeds. However no one ever ask her opinion about the villagers.

If you were to ask the villagers opinion about the girl, the most likely reaction to their question would them telling you how bad the girl was or spread rumors about her. But if you were to ask the Hokage or a ramen stand owner, they will tell you that the blonde was highly intelligent who at times like do the pranks on the villagers.

Now what they wouldn't tell you was the fact that she held the Kyuubi in her or how she always held a calculating look as if she was calculating her chance to win a fight or figuring out your motives. They also wouldn't tell you that she at times would stare out of space or that she at times seemed like she was talking to herself as they thought that she was talking to the Kyuubi.

But what none of these villagers knew was that the twelve-year-old girl was seeing the ghosts, who would try their best to amuse her or the very least give her information that she needed or tell her the motives of the people talking to her.

Naruto never understood why they did it but she didn't complain or acted ungrateful to those ghosts. They were her friends and would always listen to her when she rants about her teammates and sensei when he wouldn't train them or more specifically her.

It was a miracle that she was a good ninja or how she passed the genin test. She had been grateful that the ghosts had helped her with her training and helped her cheat in her exams. Her favorite ghost had to be the Fourth Hokage, who had always been there for her.

The Hokage had always given her guilty looks and she had always taken it for the fact that he sealed the Kyuubi in her even through she didn't honestly blame him but she was grateful that he did not haunt her but always seemed to be hanging around the Third Hokage and a few times with her but only to train. Still she didn't blame him seeing it was better take an orphan then a child with parents since the parents would most likely abandon the child.

Now as there were benefits with seeing ghosts, they were sadly some disadvantages. Most ghosts couldn't move on because they wished to see their family as the case of the Uchiha's clan, who Naruto will tell you had a stick, shove through their ass and had a huge ego the size of the Hokage Mountain and that was saying something. Some just couldn't move on because their friends and family couldn't move on in the case of Obito Uchiha, who was extremely funny.

However the most depressing thing was when they had died a terrible death and couldn't accept the fact that they are dead or wished to protect something very dear to them. Not only was that depressing, there were ghosts that always followed the people that they knew or wished to haunt.

Yes, seeing ghosts was truly a gift and a curse.

Especially now as she looked at the redhead boy and his teammates, who looked so scared to see him. If she had been anyone else, she would have been curious as to know why they were scared but, the ghosts in front of her were all the answers that she needed.

"S-so many." Naruto whimpered out loud. There were over two hundred ghosts in front of her, all of them were either staring at the redhead boy in anger and hatred or at her with curiosity and wonder. Why were there so many dead people with him?

The pink-haired girl stared at her teammate in shock before frowning at her. She didn't understand what her teammate meant by so many. There weren't many people here except Konohamaru, Sasuke-kun, her, the blond Suna Kunoichi, the make-up wearing Shinobi and that scary redhead, who was staring at her teammate with interest.

"G-Gaara." Kankuro stammered. The boy was no longer glaring at them in fact he looked very frighten and Naruto didn't blame him. She could already tell that Gaara was terrifying by the number of dead people.

"Loosing control of yourself in a fight, how pathetic." Gaara said, crossing his arms at his teammates. "Why do you think we came to Konoha?"

"Listen Gaara, they started it and…" Kankuro began, in Naruto's eyes, a childish explanation.

"Shut up or I will kill you." Both his teammates and the Konoha nins knew that he would really do it.

"_Yes, you would even kill your own siblings just like the monster you are!"_ One of the ghosts shouted in Gaara's ears. Naruto immediately flinched at the tone in her voice and the venom in her words as she said monster. The way she said it reminded her how the villagers said it to her.

"Why would you say such a thing?" Naruto said loudly, looking at the ghost beside Gaara. Her question was intended for the ghost but it was Gaara who answered her question.

"Because then I would be ridded of a headache and besides what else-"Gaara was interrupted by Naruto, who was trying her best to control her temper.

"I am not talking to you!" Naruto snapped. "I can see that he is giving you a headache but give threats when you are at the hotel not here! It is between the three of you, not us!"

"W-What!" Kankuro and Temari yelled, surprise that the girl had such audacity to snap at their brother. Did she not know what would happen to her? They looked at their brother, who was staring at the blond haired girl in shock.

"_I speak the truth Milady! He had killed me for no reason in fact he had killed all of us for no reason including his own mother! If that is not a monster then I do not know what is!"_ The ghost lady yelled, pointing to her the ghost beside Gaara.

The blond haired girl trailed her eyes to the ghost on Gaara's right side. She hadn't really noticed her because of the ghosts surrounding her but with closer inspection, she noticed that this ghost neither had hatred nor anger at the boy but sadness and it was a heartbreaking sadness.

"_You can see me?"_

The blue-eyed girl hesitantly nodded and the ghost broke into a big smile. She looked at her son and then to her, allowing her eyes to linger at the three scars in her cheeks.

"_My son wasn't always like this,"_ the sad ghost said, smiling sadly at her son._ "I wished that he could be like he used to be more but I fear that he could never be the same."_ The woman eyes started to brighten at her and she excitedly asked,_ "But you can help me milady! I need you to show him that he is wrong! Please I am begging you!"_

Naruto's eyes soften at the lady's words and she looked at Gaara once more. The way he looked and the hardness of his eyes made her doubt that she could help him but nothing was impossible! She would help the ghost if it meant that it would help her move on. But could she really do it?

"What is your blond teammate name?" Gaara asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

The blue-eyed girl narrowed her eyes and answered coolly, "I am right here you know and to answer your question my name is Naruto Uzumaki…" she then gave him a smile and continued, "It is nice to meet you Gaara and I hope that we can be friends."

Everyone stared at her as if she was crazy and maybe she was but she wanted to help that ghost. The beaming look on the ghost's face made her feel like that she had done the right decision by saying that.

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**Author Note: Please review to tell me whether I should continue it or not.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note: I would like to thank everyone that reviewed the last chapter and had added this to their story alerts or favorite story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

* * *

It had been one week since Naruto had seen Gaara and his teammates as well as the ghosts that followed him. She had tried her hardest to figure out a way to help the redhead boy but nothing seemed to work for her. All of the ideas that she had made it seemed like she was pretending to be something she was not.

She didn't want to follow him around or praise him when she herself did not know him that well and she really didn't want to look or act like a fan girl. They were a disgrace to Kunoichis everywhere.

It also didn't help that the Yondaime Hokage was pushing her to train even more hard for the Chunin Exams. Apparently he had seen Kakashi nominated her and her teammates for the Chunin Exams. The bastard of a sensei didn't even tell them until the last minute.

Looking in the mirror, Naruto had to wonder if it was truly a good idea to change from the outfit that she usually wore. She always wore the orange jumpsuit but Minato or Sensei as she liked to fondly call him had insisted that she wore something different.

She won't admit this to the deceased Hokage but she did like the outfit that she wore. Wearing the red kimono blouse with a dark colored orange obi and the dark shirt under her kimono as well as the stockings seemed more comfortable to wear then that of the jumpsuit. It also didn't help that the Hokage told her that she looked like her mother when she wore that outfit.

"_You are going to be late for the Chunin Exams if you don't go now."_ Minato pointed out to the blond girl.

The blue-eyed girl sighed at her sensei and answered, "I have a bad feeling about this examination."

"_I see but what are can you do, Naruto-chan? Your teammates would be very disappointed with you if you don't come."_

"Disappointed? Furious is the better word to use, sensei. Have you seen how violent Sakura can be? Or how big an ego Sasuke has?"

The Yondaime chuckled uneasily at her words but didn't disagree with what she said about her teammates. She sighed at the Hokage and apologized to him about her tone. She seriously was under a lot of stress and her teammates weren't helping her either.

"I am going," Naruto informed the ghost. It became her habit to tell the ghosts that visited her when she leaves.

"_I am coming with you."_ Minato said._ "You would at least need some help during the first part of the Chunin Exams."_

The blond haired girl raised her eyebrows at him but didn't dare question the Hokage. If there was one thing she learned from hanging around ghosts, it was that when they offer her help it meant that a challenge was coming or they wanted something in return. With the Hokage, it always meant the first.

"Alright but I can't speak to you with my teammates around." Naruto informed him. "Don't want them to think anything bad of me."

He raised his eyebrows at her in disbelief and the blond haired girl just simply gave a shrug as her response. He chuckled as they made their way through the door and headed to meet up with Sasuke and Sakura.

* * *

Much to Naruto's amusement, her teammates did not seem to notice the change of attire. Frankly, the blue-eyed girl knew that the only way that it would ever get Sakura's attention if she simply transformed to Sasuke or to do something equally as amusing or embarrassing. Oh well, it wasn't like she wanted her to recognized her.

Sasuke, on the other hand, had noticed the change but just did not say anything because he was brooding. Through she could almost sworn that she had seen him blush but it must have been her imagination.

She sighed as they walked towards the room where they were supposed to turn their applications in. There had been a test on the second floor where people were tricked into thinking a different room was the right one and Sasuke nearly spilled the beans but hadn't due to her suggestions.

"_That had been a close one. You would had more c__ompetitors if you hadn't told him not to do it.__"_ Minato said as he decided to stand beside Fugaku Uchiha. The Uchiha head looked ready to disagree with the Yondaime but decided against it, knowing that his son would have done it.

Naruto chuckled at her sensei and Fugaku. The two of them don't get along but yet for some strange reason those two are still friends. Their behavior towards each other reminded her of another pair but for a life of hers, she couldn't think whose.

Her train of thought was broken as they walked through a large arena-like room that seemed oddly misplaced in the Academy.

"Hey, guy with dark eyes!" a loud voice yelled as they reached the center of the room.

Looking up, Naruto saw a boy wearing a repulsive green spandex jumpsuit standing on the balcony that surrounded the room.

"_A mini Gai!"_ Minato and the rest of the Uchiha clan yelled in horror.

The blond haired girl tilted her head at them and looked at them in confusion, not understanding why they seemed so fearful. Who was this Gai? And why were they seemed so fearful at the fact that this guy was a mini version of him? It made her wonder what else the ghosts are afraid of.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked, looking at the spandex wearing boy in annoyance.

"Will you fight me right here?"

The blue-eyed girl looked at the older boy in curiosity and then with griminess before looking at her teammate to see what he planned to do. _He is an idiot!_ Thought Naruto in disbelief, knowing now what he planned to do. They are not supposed to get into a fight during the Chunin Exams any person with common sense will know that.

"A fight right now?"

"Yes."

"_Son, you can't get into a fight right now! Not when you are about to enter the Chunin Exams!"_ Mikoto yelled at her son's ear, forgetting that her son couldn't hear her. She looked at Naruto for help to convince her son not to do something so reckless.

"My name is Rock Lee." Lee introduced himself as he did a front flip off of the balcony and landed gracefully "When you want to learn a person's name you introduce yourself first, right?"

"Uchiha Sasuke." Scoffed Sasuke. "Heh, so you know?"

"I want to fight you." Lee said as he did into a taijutsu stance. "I want to test my techniques against the off-spring of the genius ninja clan."

"_You hear that Namikaze, he called my clan a genius!"_ Fugaku said in glee.

Minato sweat-dropped at this change of behavior while Mikoto simply chuckled at her husband's enthusiasm.

The blue eyed girl sighed and said, "Sasuke, normally I am all for it for you get into a fight but…" she nodded her head at Lee. "I don't think it is the time for you to get into a fight especially when the Chunin Exams do not allow competitors to fight outside of the exams. You can get us disqualified!"

"We also got thirty minutes as well." Sakura added.

"Challenging me knowing the Uchiha name," Sasuke said, not paying attention to Naruto's warning and Sakura. "Frankly you are a fool."

"_You tell him!"_ Fugaku said, encouraging his son to continue on with the insults.

The blond haired girl scoffed at his words. Naruto had also paid attention to Lee and can already tell the outcome of this battle. The stance that he used and the speed that he had done to be in his taijutsu stance told her how outclass Sasuke was.

"You got something to say, dope!" Sasuke growled.

"_Yes, milady do you have something to say!"_ Fugaku growled at the girl. Normally he got along with the girl just fine, as she had been trying to help his son with his other son.

Naruto smiled sweetly at him and answered, "Yes, you are the fool not him!" he glared at her but the blond didn't stop there. "Think carefully, why would he done such a thing? Why would he go to great lengths to do something as risky as this? I doubt someone would do that unless they are confident to win and look at his fighting stance and compare it to yours."

Minato looked at his daughter in proudness and pride. He was happy to see that she had taken his words of wisdom and used it for her teammates. Through he honestly doubt that this time her words will work on him. The mini Gai had insulted the boy's family.

"So what! I would be the one to be disqualified not you guys!"

The blond haired girl twitched her eyebrows at him and said, "I rather prefer it if we are all in there like a _**team**_!"

"He insulted my clan! Thick brows must learn what this name means!"

"Please…" Lee said, not helping Naruto with what he just elder boy then proceeded to make a "come hither" motion with his hand.

The blue eyed girl stomped her foot at them and the whole building started to shake. Sasuke and Sakura looked at her in shock, both of them knowing that the blond only do that when she is loosing control her temper. Which almost rarely happens.

"You are testing my patience, Sasuke! He may have insulted your clan but that does not mean you pick a fight with him!" Naruto growled. She then sighed and said, "However you seemed really stubborn to continue this fight so fine you do the fight but I want this fight over in five minutes, if not I am going to personally finish it for you."

Sasuke nodded numbly while Sakura looked at her teammate in anger for threatening the Uchiha heir. How dare she threaten Sasuke-kun? He could beat her up less then ten minutes and the same goes for the thick brow boy.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Naruto and her companions, Gaara was standing on the balcony watching them. His eyes gleamed in excitement at the shockwaves that Naruto had produced.

Karura frowned at the craze look on her youngest son's face. She knew that look all to well in his face but she wasn't worried about him killing the girl. She didn't know why but something told her that it would be hard for him to do such a thing to her.

"_Why waste your time with the monster? He killed all of us, there is no redemption for him. He won't stop killing innocent people not until he is dead."_ One of Gaara's victims asked her.

The brunette woman narrowed her eyes and boldly said. _"He will stop it! It is my husband and Suna's fault that he is this way! Not once had you shown him any kindness and treated him with hate!" _She then added to them. _"And his change will be from Naruto!"_

The ghosts scoffed at her words and Karura frowned. She looked down to see Naruto and silently prayed that what she has just said was right. She didn't want to see her child like this.

* * *

"_I am really sorry about my son!"_ Mikoto apologized to Naruto as her son got beaten up by Lee. The blond was sure that the woman would have blushed if it weren't for the fact that she was dead.

"_If this was a mission, your son could have gotten them killed because he did not listen to the words of his teammates!"_ Minato informed Fugaku, who was watching the match between his son and Lee with avid interest.

"_Teamwork is not that important."_

The rest of the Uchiha clan agreed with Fugaku, all except Mikoto. The Uchiha matron shook her head in disapproval at her husband words while Naruto and Minato gave him a heated look.

Now, the blond haired girl knew where Sasuke got his lack of teamwork and his ego from. Honestly, the boy looks more like his mother but acted more like his father. She wondered whom does Itachi act like, hopefully like his mother.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yelled, drawing the ghosts and Naruto's attention back to Sasuke. The blond shook her head at the sight of Sasuke falling down to the ground before looking at the clock to see how many more minutes she had before she had to finish the fight for him. Hmm, four more minutes to go before she does her job.

She then looked around the area to see if they were being watched. Her eyes widen when she saw Gaara and the ghosts behind him. She gave him a small smile, causing him to frown.

She gave him a small wave and gestured for him to come down but his response from her was a nod as a greeting before he left her and Sakura to watch the match.

"_Anything going on between the two of you?"_ Minato asked, glaring at the retreating form of Gaara.

The blond haired girl frowned and then shook her head at her teacher in confusion. Why would there be anything going on between them? They were nothing but acquaintance but Naruto hoped to change that. She needed to help him and being friends with him was the only way.

"How could this happen? Sasuke-kun is unbeatable!" Sakura said, looking at Sasuke and Lee in confusion and anger. "He must be cheating!"

"Why do you say such a thing, Sakura?" Naruto asked. She watched in boredom as Lee wrapped Sasuke with his bandages. Right from the beginning, she knew the outcome of this match.

"Because Sasuke-kun is unbeatable!"

The blue-eyed girl frowned at her teammate's response and then gave her teammate a dark look. What she was about to say would get Sakura angry but it was time she tell her the harsh reality.

"No one is unbeatable not even Sasuke! He is a rookie Sakura not a jounin, it is expected that he would loose to someone that has more experience. Not only that, Sasuke may be the Rookie of the Year but I bet you that compare to some of the competitors here, he is easy for them to kill or defeat." Said Naruto.

"How dare you say that about Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said. She then raised her hand and was about to slap the girl when Naruto took her arm and put it behind her back.

"I am your teammate Sakura but even I have a limit to my patience," whispered Naruto coldly in her ear. "Raise your hand at me again and I will break your arm, got it!"

The pinkette fearfully nodded at her teammate and the blond nodded and then released her arm. Sakura couldn't help but stare at her teammate in fear. That was the first time that Naruto had ever done such a thing to her, she had seen her do it to Ino but never to her. She must have really pissed her off.

It was in that moment a pink, paper, windmill flew in between the two soaring ninja, pinning the bindings against the wall.

"That is enough Lee!"

Naruto and Sakura turned around and were shocked to see a huge turtle in front of them, wearing a Konoha headband around his neck.

Rock Lee changed his direction, controlling his fall so that he fell to the floor immediately. He twirled in the air, holding onto the loose binding until he landed. While Sakura called out Sasuke name as he continued to fall down to the ground.

The pink haired girl barely reached to him on time but was still able to catch him. She glanced at her blond haired teammate, who simply shook her head at Sasuke before walking towards them with great reluctance. She scowled at her teammate's behavior.

"Are you alright Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked.

The blond haired girl was the one to answer the question. "He isn't injured but his pride must have gone real down for being beaten by Lee-san." She answered, smiling at her teammate. "Now what did we learn today?"

"Shut up, Dope!"

The blue-eyed girl shook her head at his threat and continued to talk. "I did warn you that you were going to be beaten but you didn't listen to me so it is only fair that I say, I told you so."

"Naruto-baka stop talking." Sakura yelled.

Naruto shook her head at her teammate and said, "I will not stop talking because Sakura, he needs to learn the hard cold truth that he isn't better then anyone! I am not going to be like you and tell him that he is so _cool _and _strong_; I am going to tell him the harsh reality that is he isn't the strongest genin in this whole village! There are many genins stronger then him!"

"Naruto!"

"_She is right! Your son deserves to know the hard cold truth!"_ Minato said to his friend.

"_Someone has to tell him."_ Mikoto agreed as she looked at her son in worry.

"Oh by the way is it possible for a turtle to become a ninja?" asked Naruto, looking at the turtle in front of them with curiosity.

Sakura looked at her in disbelief and yelled, "How would I know!"

"_No, Naruto-chan a turtle summon can not become a ninja."_ Minato answered, smiling in amusement at his child's question.

"You think you can get away with an excuse like that? You already know what it means for a shinobi to reveal his special techniques!" The turtle yelled at the terrified Lee.

"Yes!" screamed Lee.

"Are you prepared to pay?" the turtle asked.

Lee reluctantly nodded his head and hunched his back before saying, "Yes."

"Then here comes Gai-sensei!" The turtle yelled as he disappeared in a cloud of smoke, revealing the freakiest thing Konoha had to offer. Maito Gai.

"_Oh no, please god not him!"_ The ghosts yelled. It had never been so amusing for Naruto to see the panic looks on all the ghosts face including the rigid Fugaku Uchiha, who looked ready to run away.

"Geez! You guys are the epitome of youth!" Gai yelled. Naruto face turned pale as she noticed the pronounced feature on his face and the clothes that he was wearing.

"He has got even thicker eyebrows!" yelled Sakura, voicing out loud her teammates thoughts.

"_That isn't the bad part!"_ Minato said, looking at Gai in weariness._ "The bad part is the fact that he always talked about youth or his insane training methods."_

The rest of the ghosts nodded in agreement with him and Naruto looked torn from laughing at their expression or asking him about the insane training methods.

"Did I mention that I had never seen eyebrows like them?" Naruto asked her teammates.

They shook their head and added their own comments about Gai and Lee's eyebrows. She smiled in relief at the fact that she wasn't the only one that found it disturbing.

"Hey! Stop insulting Gai-sensei!"

"Well excuse me for not knowing how to react! I mean first it was you then that summon turtle and now him! Do we attract weirdoes or what!" said Naruto, trying her best not to shout at Lee for saying that to them.

"What did you say?"

"Lee!" Gai said, waving his hands to his student to come closer.

"Oh yes…" Lee asked, going closer to his sensei.

"YOU FOOL!" Gai slammed his fist into Lee's face sending him to the ground causing all three genins to gawk in shock. Naruto looked at the ghosts who simply shook their head as if it was a normal thing and it might be if they had been seen them around a few times.

"You are…you are…"

"Sensei…" both student and teacher had tears in their eyes.

"Sensei…. I…. I"

"That is enough Lee, you don't need to say it."

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

Both ninja hugged each other making Team Seven gape and the ghosts to turn even paler if possible at the sight in front of them.

_That is so wrong in so many levels. _Thought Naruto, paling at the sight in front of them. If she had thought the hugging was worse then it became even worse when she saw the sunset jutsu. She tried dispelling it but to her horror it didn't work.

"Sakura, do me a favor."

"What?" asked Sakura.

"If it doesn't end in the next ten minutes, please kill me."

The pink haired girl nodded and said, "Alright but only if you do the same for me."

Naruto nodded in agreement and was grateful that her teammate would do something as kind as that. She even has limits on what was considered to be affectionate but the sight in front of her was so wrong and in so many levels.

"You think it is going to end anytime soon?" Sakura asked, looking at the clock.

Naruto frowned and then asked, "Why are we even still here? Let us go when we have the chance."

The other two members of Team Seven nodded in agreement and walked as quietly as they could to the stairs but were stopped by Gai. How he came from the other side of the room to the stairs so fast she didn't know! But she did know if they didn't get out of their soon, she will get sick.

"How is Kakashi-sensei doing?" Gai asked.

The blond frowned before sighing at the fact that their sensei knows this weirdo as well. Was it too much to ask for a day without weirdoes? Well to be fair she was one as well but not by choice.

"You know Kakashi?" Sasuke asked.

"_How can he not! That man always challenges him!"_ Minato said, smiling at them._ "Their challenges are quite insane if I do say so myself."_

"You got to be kidding me." Naruto muttered as Gai began to tell them about how their eternal rivals and how much stronger he was then Kakashi. The blond didn't doubt the man but she did doubt about how sane he was.

Still she had never been more glad to be in Kakashi's team till now. She shudder at the thought of her sensei being like Gai or even worse if that was possible. Thank Kami for giving her Kakashi and not Gai.

* * *

It was another ten minutes before they were finally allowed to go to the classroom to do the exam. She was very thankful that they reached five minutes before the exam as being late was not something she liked or patient about.

Naruto was surprised to see Kakashi standing in front of the classroom where the first exam was taking place. She grinned at the sight of Obito Uchiha, who gave her a wave.

"_Long time no see, Naruto-chan!"_ Obito said, grinning at her. _"And here I was thinking that you would never want to see me again."_

She silently made hand signs to tell him that it was his fault for not seeing her and not the other way around. He pouted at her and told her that he had been too busy keeping an eye on Kakashi.

"_Still no excuse not to see Naruto!"_ Minato informed his student.

"Now we can properly take the exam." Kakashi said, returning her attention back to him.

"What do you mean?" asked Sakura.

"Probably means that this exam is meant to be taken by teams of three." Naruto answered, smiling at her teacher.

"But he said taking the test was an individual choice. You lied to us?" Sakura accused their sensei.

"_Probably didn't tell you because he was very lazy to or to busy reading those books of his!"_ Obito assured the girl. Naruto arched her eyebrows at him and he was reminded again that he was dead.

Kakashi then went on to explaining why he didn't tell her the truth and Naruto was glad that he didn't tell her because of the reasons that Obito suggested. Seriously reading those books of his would make him forget to tell the girl! The boy got to think of better reasons.

None of them noticed that a mysterious figure in the shadows that was watching Naruto with interest or the gleaming look on his eyes as he watched them enter. No, they had never realized that the moment that they entered the doors their lives would change and not for the better.

* * *

**Author Note: Please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author Note: I would like to thank everyone that reviewed the last chapter and had added this to their story alerts or favorite story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto through I wished that I did.**

* * *

When they entered the classroom, Naruto couldn't help but felt overwhelmed. The sheer numbers of shinobis were definitely impressive; there must be over one hundred people in here.

Naruto glanced at Minato to see his reaction about the number. The surprised look on his face told her that this number of genins was not one that he had expected as well. She frowned and wondered what was the most common number that the Chunin Exams had.

"What is this?" Sakura asked after she had gotten over her shock.

The blue-eyed girl blinked her eyes at her teammate and answered slowly, "They are genins that are also taking the Chunin Exams and this is where we take the first exam!"

Sakura flushed in embarrassment at her teammate's words and angrily said, "I know that Baka!"

"_Then why do you ask such a foolish question?"_ Mikoto asked, looking at the girl in annoyance. She was so thankful that her son did not have any feelings for the pink-haired girl in front of her because if he did, she would never ever want to talk to him again.

"Really?" asked Naruto in mock surprise. She suddenly stiffened as she felt a familiar presence approaching her team. Why oh why was she put in the same team as Sasuke? Oh yes, apparently she was the only one in the whole class that was balanced.

_One…. two…. three,_ Naruto thought as she went to stand beside Sakura. There was no way in hell that she would stand beside the raven-haired teen when his fan girls were here excluding Sakura but she had no choice but to get along with the pink haired girl.

"Sasuke-kun! You are late!" Ino yelled as she jumped on to Sasuke's back. The raven-haired teen looked at Naruto for help but the blond haired teen simply chuckled at him before shaking her head at him. He scowled at her causing her grin to widen.

"I haven't seen you for a while so I have been waiting in excitement." Ino said, smiling at Sasuke. The raven-haired teen looked at Naruto for help but sadly for him, the blue-eyed teen felt like he needed to learn a lesson.

"Ino, I don't think Sasuke would mind if you give him a more tight hug!" Naruto said, smiling evilly at her teammate. Sasuke looked at her in horror but she simply mouth to him that he had it coming for not listening to her.

"Naruto, do not encourage Ino-pig!" Sakura yelled at her teammate before glaring at her ex-best friend. She then yelled at Ino, "And get away from Sasuke-kun! Ino-pig!"

"Why if it isn't Sakura…" Ino said, scowling at her ex-best friend. "Big ugly forehead as usual…"

"_Are they always like this?"_ Minato asked as Naruto looked at the two girls in amusement and boredom. The preteen nodded at him and his frowned deepened at her. He couldn't help but be disappointed at how the two girls act to each other, this was not the way a kunoichi act.

"Are you guys taking this stupid test too? Don't die…" Shikamaru said as he walked up to them alongside Choji, who was eating a bag of chips. Naruto could not remember a day when the Akimichi heir didn't have a bag of chips in his hand.

"Still being lazy, I see," said Naruto with a small smile. "I honestly didn't expect you to take this test, I thought it might be too troublesome for you. Which makes me ask what made you come here?"

"Troublesome women."

"I see your mother nagged you into take the Chunin Exams and Ino must have been annoying you to do it because she heard it from Sakura that our team was going to do it as well." Naruto said, grinning at him.

The two males nodded at her and the blond sighed and said in pity, "Goodness knows, how you survived Ino!"

"You don't know the half of it!" Shikamaru said.

"I can feel your pain." Naruto said, smiling at the two males as she silently pointed to Sakura, which unnoticed by the said pink-haired girl. Ino glared at them for what they had implied but that didn't fazed them, all three of them were used to her glares. Naruto more so then Choji and Shikamaru as the platinum blond girl always glared at her when she spend time with Sasuke.

"What did you say, pudgy!" Ino yelled.

The blue-eyed girl eyes darken at Ino words and said in coldness, "Ino, if you call me pudgy again, I will have no problem sending you to the hospital again. Also, I should remind you that I am not fat but curvy unlike you!"

"What the hell did you just said!" Ino yelled. "And you are pudgy don't convince yourself otherwise!"

"_Naruto is not pudgy!"_ All the ghost yelled. Minato huffed at the platinum blond girl's words while Mikoto glared at the girl for saying such things to Naruto. She did not like this girl behavior one bit.

Sasuke and the rest of the boys couldn't help but feel awkward at the situation in front of them while Sakura couldn't help but shake her head at her rival denial of Naruto's body. Everyone that sees Naruto knows that the girl is well developed for her age even Sakura could see it and she always wanted to deny anything good about Naruto.

"You heard me!" Naruto said, looking at her in boredom. "And besides I am well-developed not fat and also, you are in diet! What type of Kunoichi does that to herself!"

"At least I know that I can get a boy!" Ino spat.

"_Unfortunately, Naruto seemed to be having a lot of boys following her."_ Minato said as he remembered the boys that he had seen that always seemed to be following his little girl. What happened with the Kazekage son was proof of how many boys found his daughter attractive!

"So what!" Naruto said, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't care if a boy looks at me or not! And besides I would rather be a good Kunoichi then be boy crazy."

"We are not boy crazy!" Sakura and Ino yelled.

The blond girl chuckled and said, "Did I say you were? I simply said that I would rather be a good Kunoichi then be boy crazy, I didn't say you guys were."

Sasuke bowed his head down at the fact that Naruto got them to confess that they were boy crazy. He was glad to know that he would never have to worry of the blond stalking him but it would be nice if the girl returned his feelings towards her.

"Yahoo! Found you!" a rather loud voice yelled.

Naruto's attention turned to an approaching Kiba Inuzuka, who was grinning. His teammates, Shino Aburame and Hinata Hyuga were close behind.

"H…hello!" Hinata greeted, smiling nervously at them. She looked at Naruto, who gave her a grin causing the Hyuga heiress smile slightly bigger.

"Well, well, everyone is assembled." Kiba said.

"Nice to see you too, Kiba." Naruto said. The feral boy grinned at her and eyed her up and down before whistling at her causing the blond to roll her eyes at him.

"Looking hot as usual, Naruto! Through hotter in that outfit." Kiba said, grinning at the blond haired girl in front of him. Shikamaru stared at the feral boy and sighed. Everyone knew of his crush on the blue-eyed girl, who was always polite to decline his dates.

"_Stay away from Naruto!"_ Minato yelled at the boy. The blue-eyed girl shook her head at her teacher's attitude towards Kiba. For some strange reason, the Yondaime was always protective of her when a boy asked her out on a date.

"Really Kiba, at a time like this?" Naruto asked in disbelief, raising her eyebrows at him.

"Why not?" Kiba asked in confusion.

The blond shook her head at him but didn't offer an explanation to him. She turned her attention to Sasuke, who seemed to be looking at Kiba in annoyance and was that…_jealously_ she was seeing? She shook her head at that thought, knowing that Sasuke did not like her in that sense.

"I see…all 9 of this year's rookie genin are taking the exam." Kiba said, realizing that everyone was gathered here. He had been too distracted by the sight of Naruto's change of outfit. "I wonder how far we will get…eh Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn…you seem confidant, Kiba." Sasuke said, smirking at the feral boy. Ino and Sakura were glaring at Kiba as the two boys were having their conversation.

"We did a lot of training, we won't loose to you!" Kiba boasted, grinning at the raven-haired teen. Naruto shook her head at the two boys and wondered what was it with boys and their egos.

"I am sure that you did a lot of training but I can still kick your ass." Naruto said as she leaned against the wall. "I am a hundred times stronger than I used to be."

Kiba shook his head at her in disbelief. Naruto was many things but he won't believe that the girl got stronger. She was strong don't get him wrong but not once had they ever seen her train hard for anything and so the idea of her getting stronger was laughable.

"Right…" Kiba said. "The day I see you beat my ass is the day hell freeze over."

"_Naruto is stronger then you think! I was the one that told her to do the minimum to pass the genin exams."_ Minato said as he tried his best to reign in his temper. It may have been his idea but he still hated the fact that everyone underestimated his little girl.

The blond haired girl shook her head at him and scanned the room for anymore-familiar faces. She smiled when she saw the familiar sight of Lee and his teammates but then frowned when she saw a ghost sitting beside the Hyuga boy, who seemed to look sad and slightly disappointed.

She shook her head and then returned back to scanning the room. Naruto felt her lips curl into a small smile when she saw the familiar sight of Gaara and his teammates as well as his mother's ghost, who seemed to be looking at his teammates in disappointment.

She must have been staring at him for a long time because the redhead boy turned his head and looked at her. They stare at each other; both of them daring each other to break away from the staring but neither of them broke away.

As she waited for him to stop staring, Naruto took her time analyzing the boy that she promised to help. He wasn't bad looking if she admitted to herself; she would even go as far as to say that he was cute. Personally, she blamed his teal eyes.

"_He is a cutie, Naruto. Through I wish that you see my son in that way as well."_ Mikoto said as she looked at the redhead boy in amusement.

The blond haired girl eyes widen at the Uchiha Matron and softly said, "I do not like Gaara, Mikoto! I am thinking of ways to help him! You know I think those ghosts surrounding him won't leave until he changes his way!"

"_Really? Than why have you been staring at him for the past ten minutes?"_ Mikoto asked in amusement. Minato glared at the Uchiha Matron for pointing it out while Fugaku shook his head at his noisy wife's question.

"I-I haven't been staring at him for ten minutes!" Naruto said in denial. "And why do you care? It isn't like I have feelings for the boy! Barely know the guy."

"_Right…"_ Mikoto said, not looking convince at the girl's words.

The blond turned her head at the woman and opened her mouth to argue but stopped when she noticed that the rest of the rookies were now paying attention to an older boy with white hair. She sighed as he told them that this was not a picnic.

Honestly if there was one thing she hates the most, is the way that this nin treated them.

"I am Kabuto." The white haired Konoha genin with glasses and a set of purple clothes said as he nodded his head at them. "But instead of that, look behind you."

"Behind?" Sakura asked as she turned her head to look at the genins behind them. The genins behind her looked ready to kill them. The pink haired girl gulped and unconsciously went to stand beside Naruto.

"Well, why aren't they friendly!" Naruto said sarcastically. "Why not have tea parties with them? I am sure that they will love to drink tea with us!" Everyone gawked at her for making jokes for something as serious as this.

"You shouldn't be making jokes at times like these, pudgy!" Ino yelled.

Naruto shrugged her shoulders at her fellow blond and said, "I know but seriously, you expect me to be scared of them!" she shook her head and continued. "Frankly, you guys got to get used to this because if these bunch of genins were scary to you then I hate to know in the future how you react to people deadlier than them! Also they are as scary as a kitten!"

"_Sorry, Naruto-chan about that!"_

The blond haired girl shook her head at the Yondaime for bringing up the reminder that he was the one that sealed the fuzz ball in her stomach. Maybe she should punch the ghost and knock some sense into him! It would make her like a heck lot of simpler.

* * *

Gaara looked at the blond haired girl that seemed to be having a heated argument with her friends and teammates about something. He didn't know why he always stared at her and he certainly did not know what was it about her that draws his attention to her.

She was really strange for a girl her age, for one she did not seem to be afraid to stand up against him if their first meeting told him. _I hope that we can be friends,_ that sentence had been running through his mind ever since she said those seven words.

Friends, who needs them? He definitely did not need a friend especially from a girl that did not look like she knew what it is like to suffer. Yet, why did he felt a flutter in his stomach when she said those three words? He also did not understand why his heartbeat had speed up when the blond girl looked at him.

"G-Gaara, i-is something wrong?" Temari asked hesitantly, noticing that her younger brother seemed to be out of space. Her brother never behaved that way in his life and truthfully she was scared of this development. She sighed in relief when the redhead boy shook his head at her.

"_What is wrong with your son?"_ A ghost asked Karura.

The sad female ghost looked at her son and then smiled in amusement, realizing what was happening to her youngest son. She certainly didn't expect this type of emotion from her son especially at this speed but Naruto was a remarkable girl that seemed to be working a miracle.

"_I believe that a change is coming."_ Karura answered, eyes softening as she looked at Naruto, who was being scolded by her teammate for yelling to the whole room that she would beat them all.

That blond girl over there is going to change the world that much all the ghosts were certain.

* * *

Naruto yawned as she sat in the chair that she had been assigned. After the Sound genin attacked Kabuto, their proctor had shown up and reprimanded them for fighting before the exams. He had also told them to come to the front and turn in their applications so that they could be assigned a seat number for the written part of the Chunin Exams.

If there was one thing that Naruto was grateful, it was the fact that she could see ghosts. They always could steal information for her or better yet tell her the answers to the questions. Through normally, she wouldn't ask them to do that but she was willing to make it an exception for this exam.

"There are many important rules to this first test." Their protector at the front of the class said as he wrote on the board. "I will write it on the board while I explain, but questions will not be allowed, so listen carefully. The first rule is that you guys will all start off with ten points. The test is made up of ten questions an each one is worth a point but…this test use a subtraction system. Basically if you answer all the questions correctly, you keep your ten points. But say if you miss three questions…. you lose three points and will have seven."

"_Well, you won't have any problems."_ Minato said, standing beside Ibiki. The Yondaime seemed to be looking at her in amusement and Naruto grinned, knowing that she will have it in the bag.

"The second rule…this is a team test. Whether you pass or not will be determined by the combined score of your teammates." Ibiki said, drawing Naruto's attention back to him. "So each team will compete to see how many points they can hold on to form the initial team total of thirty."

"Wait a second!" Sakura yelled, interrupting Ibiki from continuing the rules of the exam. "I don't understand this initial points system either, but why is it a team test?"

Naruto shook her head at her teammate and sighed in disappointment. Her teammate did not know what a chunin means or the duties of chunins! Well it isn't a surprise seeing as the pink-haired girl spends most of the time stalking Sasuke.

"The third rule is that during the exam… anyone caught by the testing officers doing sneaky activities, namely cheating…" Naruto grinned, as she understood that he was giving them permission to cheat. "Will have 2 points subtracted for every offense."

_Hmm, that means we have only to be caught five times before we are eliminated._ Thought Naruto, leaning back by her seat as she thought about what he had just told them.

"We will have our eyes on you guys…" the chunin in the sides informed them.

"Realized that the pathetic ones that get caught cheating will be destroying themselves." Ibiki continued, giving them a dark look. "As shinobis trying to achieve the level of chunin, be proud ninjas."

_But having a lot of pride would get us killed._ Naruto thought silently as she remembered the day when she saw Mikoto and Fugaku's ghosts appear in front of her. The Uchiha Matron was arguing with her husband about the fact that it was his fault that they died because he had too much pride.

Till this day, Naruto did not understand what she meant by that. How was it his fault that Itachi killed them? She would ask them but she feared that the two of them would argue again. God knows how long the two will argue about it, most likely months.

"And the final rule," Ibiki said, snapping Naruto from her train of thought. "Those that lose all their initial points during the test and those that don't answer any questions correctly…" he paused and all the genins were scared to know what will happen and they weren't disappointed. "Will be failed along with their two teammates."

Naruto bowed her head down at this piece of information, trying her best not to glare at her teammates. She could practically feel their need to kill her if she didn't answer any the questions correctly. Did they really think that badly about her? She really didn't want to answer that question.

"The exam will last one hour. Ok…" Ibiki said. He scanned the room to look at their faces and nodded at their petrified expressions. "Begin!" he yelled.

Naruto immediately turned over her test and began to read through the questions. Questions 1, 7-9 were questions were beyond her level, the other half were questions she definitely knew the answer too, seeing as the Yondaime will question her with scenarios.

"_Do you need my help? Or can you answer these questions without any problems?"_ Minato asked her.

Naruto quickly wrote down on her paper the answer to his question. His eyes widen in surprise when he saw that she said that she needed his help for the questions. She never really asked for help from him for these exams.

"_So what questions would you need me to get the answers for you? Through I doubt that I will be able to get it fast."_ Minato asked. The blond sighed and quietly pointed at the questions that she definitely knew that she couldn't figure out.

"_Hmm, question 1 is decoding that isn't something I have taught."_ Minato said, frowning at her question. The blond bowed her head and he sighed at her. With one last look at his daughter, he went and searched the classroom for the answers that Naruto needed.

Sighing, Naruto set her head on the desk, waiting for Minato to bring her the answer for the first question.

* * *

It had taken fifteen minutes for Naruto to get the answer for the first question before she continued on with the questions. She quickly answered questions 2-6 but was hesitant with her answer for question 6. She glanced at the Yondaime and silently gestured for him to check for the answers for the other questions.

Naruto was impressed with the methods that some of the genins were using to complete this exam. Although she found it slightly unfair that Sasuke and Hinata were using their Kekkai Genkai but then again she was using ghosts to help her complete the exam.

Of all the ones that she had noticed, she had been more impressed by Gaara's solution. The third eye was truly impressive if she dare say so herself and was really hard to notice. In fact she would haven't notice it if it weren't for the sand being rubbed out by the person sitting next to her.

"_Well, I got the answers for the rest of the questions, Naruto-chan!"_ Minato said, taking a seat on the floor. He looked very tired from all the floating and Naruto couldn't help but wonder if being a ghost was harder then it look. The blond nodded and listened as he told her the answers to the questions.

With all the questions now answered, all Naruto needed to do now was to wait for the final question. Fortunately for her, she did not have to wait long.

* * *

Ibiki stared at the genins in front of him and thought about this bunch of genins and the ones that stand out to him. The Suna boy definitely stands out for being very calm during the course of the first exam. The technique that he was using was also very good.

Naruto Uzumaki, the village's pariah, was doing better than anyone would expect of her. He had expected the girl to panic the very least with the questions but instead she was also very calm but he did not know the method that she was gathering intelligence.

The girl was intelligent and if Kakashi was saying is right then this girl was also some kind of genius. He could see the reason why he would say such a thing; the girl was truly different from the rest of her peers in Konoha.

He had watched all the genins as they entered the classroom and had seen their behavior. Naruto seemed to be daydreaming at times but with closer inspection he had seen that the girl was simply having millions of thoughts running through her head. The remarks that she made about her teammate were very spot-on.

Looking at the clock, Ibiki saw that it was time for him to ask the tenth and final question to the genins. It was going to be fun if he dare say so himself but not so much for them.

"Ok, and now we will begin the tenth question." Ibiki said. "Now…before we get to it…I would like to go over added rules for this questions."

He almost smiled at the shock looks on the genin's faces, surprisingly and sadly Naruto and the Suna boy were not shock. The redhead still had that stoic look while the blond simply seemed bored to his amusement.

"These are the rules of desperation…" Ibiki continued after the genins drank in the new piece of information. "First, for the tenth question…you must decide whether to take it or not."

"What happens if we choose not to?" A Suna girl asked immediately.

"If you choose not to, your points will be reduced to zero…you fail! Along with your teammates." Ibiki said. The looks on their faces just made his day but the thoughtful look on Naruto's face told him that she was thinking of something.

"May I ask what happens if we choose to answer the question? I mean why won't we take the other option? Unless…" Naruto trailed off and Ibiki wondered if the girl figure out what he plans to do to them.

"Well because of the other rule…" Ibiki said, informing them. "If you choose to take it and answer incorrectly…that person will lose the right to take the Chunin Exam again."

They all looked at him in shock and to his amusement, some of them looked at him with anger. Those genins attempt for killer intent was pathetic but they are the lowest of the low in terms of rank.

"What kind of rule is that?" the Inuzuka yelled. "There are guys here who have taken the exam before!"

Ibiki gave them a dark look and said, "You guys were unlucky. This year it is my rules." He then continued. "But I am giving you a way out. Those that aren't confident can chose not to take it…and try again next year."

"Those that do not wish to take it, raise your hand. Once your number is confirmed, leave," Ibiki said. He watched for the next several minutes as examinees quit, one after another.

To his surprise, he saw that the Hyuga heiress was raising her hands even through it was hesitant. He did not expect that to happen and he definitely did not expect what was about to happen next.

"I don't know about the other genins but I know for certain that I am not going to give up! In fact, I believe that you got to try harder to make me give up from taking these exams!" Naruto said as she slapped the desk the top of the desk with her hand. "You may be good at your job but I never give up. That is my nindo way!"

Ibiki frowned at her words and looked around the room. To his surprise, all the genins in the room was filled with determination at her words. "I heard you want to be the strongest kunoichi in the Elemental countries. How are you going to achieve that if you can never become chunin?"

Naruto chuckled and answered, "Chunin is just a rank, I can still be a genin ten years from now and be stronger than all the jounins in this village! I will be strongest Kunoichi that this world has ever seen even if I was still a genin!"

The scarred man looked around and saw that all the competitors were still determined. He sighed and realized that there was no point for him to drag it any longer.

"Good decisions. Now to everyone still remaining… I congratulate you on passing the first test!" Ibiki said.

The blond haired girl in front of him smirked and Ibiki realized that the girl had known along what had been happening to them. Smart kid and she was also apparently very sly if what her actions had just proven.

"What do you mean?" The pink-haired girl asked, looking at him in shock. "We already pass? What about the tenth question?"

He opened his mouth to answer the question but it was Naruto that beat him to the punch.

"There was never a tenth question." Naruto explained and then the blond frowned before adding thoughtfully. "Well I guess the two choices would be considered the tenth question if you think about it. In a way he did word it as a question."

"What were the first nine questions for then?" a blonde Sand kunoichi asked. "Were they pointless?" She did not look very happy at the prospect of pointlessly taking an exam.

"No, they were not pointless. They served their intended purpose," Ibiki said, waving his hands at them. "To test your individual information gathering ability…that purpose."

"Information gathering?" The blond kunoichi repeated.

"First, as the rules explained…success on this test based on the whole team doing well this put pressure on each member not to mess things up for their teammates." Ibiki said. "But the questions on this test were not the types a mere genin could answer. Because of that… I am sure most of the people came to the same conclusion… that to score points…I will have to cheat."

All the genins started to whisper at this and after a couple of minutes Ibiki continued on with his explanation. "Basically… the premise of this test is to cheat. As cheating targets, we had two or so chunins who knew all the answers mixed into the crowd, to help you guys out."

"It was for that reason I figure out what he was planning to do." Naruto muttered under her breath. Ibiki frowned at this revelation and wonder how the girl knew which one of them were chunins.

Ibiki shook his head and continued. "But those that cheat poorly, fail of course." He said as he removed his bandana. "Because…at times, information is more important than life and on missions and the battlefield, people risk their lives to get their hands on it."

All the genins looked at him in horror when they saw the burns, screw holes and scars that covered his head. The girls especially seemed to be looking at it with horror and nausea.

"If the enemy or third party notices you, than there is no guarantee the info will be accurate. I want you to remember this. Important information in your hands can be a powerful weapon for your comrades and for the village." Ibiki said. "So we had you gather information through cheating. This clearly separated those that didn't have the right abilities."

"But I still don't understand the final question." The Suna kunoichi said.

"But the tenth question is the true purpose of the test," Ibiki said with a smile.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked in confusion.

"Let me explain, the tenth question, the take it or not take it decision. Obviously these were painful choices. Those who choose the latter option fail along with their teammates. Those who choose to take it could loose the chance to take the test again…a true leap of faith."

"Now about these two choices, say you guys become chunins." Ibiki said, giving them a scenario. "Your mission is to steal a secret document. The amount of ninjas, their abilities and etc. is unknown to you. And of course there could be traps set all around you. Now do you accept, or not accept? Because you don't want to die…because you don't want your comrades hurt…can you avoid this dangerous mission? The answer is no!"

Naruto smiled at the man's words and looked at her sensei. Minato smiled at her and told her to return her attention back to Ibiki's long speech. She sighed and nodded at his request.

"No matter what the danger, there are missions you can't avoid. The ability to be courageous, and survive any hardship…this is the ability needed to become a chunin captain." Ibiki continued and he soon began to become passionate. "Those who can't put their destinies on the line, who cling to the uncertain future of 'there's always next year'…and then walk away from their chance…those pieces of trash who can only make such cowardly choices…they don't have the right to become chunin…that is how I feel!"

_He is very passionate about this._ Naruto thought as the man yelled about this. She had never seen someone as passionate about this as him, if she doesn't include Gai and Lee.

"Those who choose to take it answered the tough tenth question correctly. You will be able to survive any troubles you face in the future." Ibiki said, smiling at them. "You made it through the entrance. The first test of the Chunin Exam is now finished. I wish you guys luck."

_I have a feeling that we will need it._ Naruto thought looking at the man in weariness. She glanced at Minato, who smiled encouraging at her and than looked out at the window. The first test was done but Naruto already wanted the exams to finish.

* * *

**Author Note: Please review.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author Note: I would like to thank everyone that reviewed the last chapter and had added this to their story alerts or favorite story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto through I wished that I did.**

* * *

Their second proctor, Anko Mitarashi, was an interesting woman if you were to ask Naruto. Not only did she came into the room in bad timing but she also scared the living daylights out of everyone when she had explained the rules of the second exams in such a way that it even made her frighten.

It also made her wonder how someone can be so nonchalant about people dying in her test. She would have asked Minato about her but the ghost had already left her to go haunt the Sandaime. Asking the Uchiha clan was a big no as the clan would now be telling Sasuke advice about this portion of the exam.

Now as they enter the Forest of Death, Naruto wondered if her and her teammates would be able to come out of here alive. They would be here for five days and in those five days they need to get an earth scroll with no knowledge on who have the scrolls.

"This forest gives me the creeps." Sakura said as she stared at the daunting trees that covered them.

"If we are lucky than we will be here for only a day at most." Naruto assured her teammate. She looked at Sasuke, who simply raised his eyebrows at her as his response. Sighing, Naruto scanned the area for any idea on how her teammates can survive the night.

"We should get a move on." Sasuke said, looking at the forest with weariness.

Naruto frowned and reluctantly nodded in agreement while Sakura simply nodded enthusiastically. There was something about this test that made her worry, she had a feeling that this test might change their team and not for the better.

It was only about thirty minutes into their journey through the Forest of Death, Naruto said, "Can we stop for a minute? I really need to go and take a piss."

Sasuke nodded and said, "Don't go too far. We don't need use to be attack while you were-"

"Don't even finish that sentence, teme." Naruto said, shaking her fist threateningly at her teammate. She then rolled her eyes and added, "Besides I am not stupid."

Sasuke raised his eyebrows at her and Naruto simply rolled her eyes at him before she began to walk the forest a little ways away from them. Once she was a few hundred yards away from them, she watered a tree. Once she was done, he began to walk back towards Sasuke and Sakura, but stopped when she felt an unfamiliar chakra in front of her.

Standing in front of her was Sasuke or rather an imposter Sasuke.

"Oh Sasuke-kun, why are you here?" Naruto asked, battling her eyelashes at the imposter. "Did you come here to see little old me?" She walked a little closer to the imposter and to her amusement and horror the imposter was looking down on the floor in embarrassment.

"Um…"

Naruto really hated herself for pretending to act this way but thankfully that little blush was the answer to her question. She ran in front of the imposter and did a roundhouse kick to his head using him to be engulfed in a cloud of smoke. In Sasuke's place was an Ame ninja.

"How did you know that I wasn't Sasuke?" The Ame ninja asked as he rose to his feet and looked at Naruto.

"Number one Sasuke-teme will be questioning me why I called him Sasuke-kun, secondly my teammate would never say um and lastly you really don't behave like him." Naruto explained before giving him a roundhouse kick to the stomach but not before taking the heaven scroll that she saw hanging open on his jacket.

"Maybe, I shouldn't have kicked him that hard." Naruto said as she watched the Ame genin flew out of range.

Shrugging her shoulders, Naruto formed the hand-seal ram and used Shunshin, appearing in front of her teammates, surprising them both.

"I have got good news and bad news for us!" Naruto said cheerfully.

Sasuke sighed and looked at his blond teammate in weariness and alarm. The blond-haired girl only acted like this type of cheerful when she had really bad news. The last time she acted this way was when she had informed them that Zabuza was alive and that was the good news.

"What is the good news, Naruto?" Sasuke asked.

"Well, I beat up an Ame nin that had attack me by transforming into you!" Naruto answered, grinning at him. "And the good news is, I was able to send him flying so there is a good chance that we won't be hearing from him anytime soon."

"Naruto, what is the bad news?" Sakura asked, looking at her teammate with fear in her eyes.

The blond-haired girl looked at them with complete seriousness and answered, "I am afraid that this won't be the first time someone would try to deceive us by transforming into each other. Also, there is a good chance that someone might heard the Ame genin screaming so they might have followed me here."

"It would seem like we need to have a password in case we get separated. For all we know, the next team that attack us would have study us beforehand." Sasuke said.

"I agree." Naruto said, nodding her head at her teammate. She couldn't argue against Sasuke logic about using a password, there is a huge chance that they will get separated again. If that Ame genin had taken the chance to study them then his chances of infiltrating them was slightly higher and all because she wouldn't have known any better.

"_It is a good thing that you know my son as well as you do."_ Mikoto said, smiling at her.

The blond-haired girl nodded her head at the Uchiha Matron's words. If it had been Sakura that the Ame nin had been trying to sneak up to than the chances of him getting in there was higher. It was times like these that she cussed Sakura for being such a fangirl.

"What shall be the password then?" Sakura asked.

"The password is: a large amount of loud enemies is the friend of the shinobi, hide and remain silent. A shinobi must understand the proper time, when the enemy is tired and ill prepared." Sasuke said.

"Okay, I got it!" Sakura said, smiling firmly at the two of them.

"You do realize that is more of a passage than a password, right? And can't we make it shorter? I can't remember something that long!" Naruto said, stretching her arms and legs.

"Are you stupid? I already memorized it." Sakura said, glaring at her.

"_That is such a nice way to say it to Naruto."_ Mikoto said, frowning at Sakura's behavior towards Naruto.

The blue-eyed girl raised her eyebrows at her teammate and said coldly, "Call me stupid again and I will show you the trick that got Ino into the hospital."

"You can't mean that! We are teammates for Kami sake." Sakura argued.

"Really?" Naruto asked in surprise. Her eyes turned cold as ice as she continued, "Than why the hell do you insult me? That is not the way a teammate treats other teammates! Honestly Sakura, I don't even know why the bloody hell I put up with you!"

Sakura flinched at Naruto's icy looks and looked down to her feet in guilt. For as long as she could remembered, the blond-haired girl had always been neutral towards her and never really became angry with her except when she had been asking Sasuke-kun for a date. To hear Naruto be this angry told her how fed up she was with her behavior.

"Dope, if you can't remember the password then don't get separated from us." Sasuke said, changing the subject.

"Like that would be an easy thing to do!" Naruto said under her breath. It would seemed like for the first time since Team Seven was formed that she would be relying on them.

"Now, let's go. We should pick up the pace," Sasuke said as he began to run through the forest with his teammates behind him.

Naruto had a bad feeling that all three of them would be separated soon and that it would be quite some time before she sees them again. She shook her head at her worries and concentrated on following her teammates.

* * *

It was only about ten minutes later; Naruto was flung through the forest as a gust of strong wind hit her and her teammates. Unfortunately for her, she was in the very center of the blast of wind, so both of her teammates were thrown into the sides while she was actually send flying through the forest. It didn't take a genius to see that it would be quite sometime before she can see her teammates again.

She would still be flying through the forest if there weren't a huge tree that had stopped her from flying. Her back had never felt so much pain until she had hit that tree and she was half-tempted to hit the tree.

Rising to her feet, Naruto was already to run towards her team but the huge ugly snake stood in her way. The snake in front of her looked ready to eat her and she wasn't saying that because of its size but how focus it eyes was on her.

She quickly formed the hand-seals and leapt in the air with a huge jump. Opening her mouth and taking a huge gulp of air, Naruto used the strongest water jutsu that she knew.

"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave"

Naruto spits out a great volume of water from her mouth and watched in satisfaction, as the snake was not only being swallowed but also being crushed by the wave. It would have been practically impossible for that huge snake to dodge that attack and the dead body below her told her that her suspicion was right.

"I know this isn't the time to be surfing but it will be a while before I can do this move in front of people!" Naruto said as she surfed through the wave.

She sighed in disappointment as the wave started to dry up. Was it sad that she missed surfing already? Oh well, there was no time for her to surf and besides Minato-sensei would have scolded her for thinking like this when her teammates were in danger.

She looked around the area that she had landed on and realized with a heavy heart that her attack had done too much damage to the area and secondly that she was hopelessly lost, seeing as she was no longer in the same position as before.

Jumping down from the tree that she had landed on, Naruto decided to try to find the Earth scroll for their team as well as find a simply way back to them. She had to have faith that Sasuke and Sakura could handle whatever situation they were in.

It wasn't like an S-rank missing nin was going to attack two of them.

* * *

"How foolish…Suna brat, challenging us head on like this…" The Ame nin said, sneering at the redhead boy in front of them.

"_I wouldn't be provoking him if I were you!"_ Karura said, shaking her head at the nin in front of her son. She really didn't want to see anymore-pointless death.

Gaara closed his eyes and tried to calm down the raging demon inside of him that was already calling out for their blood. Killing them won't be bad and it would calm his mother down if he gives her little of that delicious blood that she loved.

"You will die," The Ame genin said, smirking at him.

The redhead blinked his eyes at him and said, "Enough talking. Let us do it, old man from The Hidden Rain."

Kankuro closed his eyes as he thought about the trouble that his brother was putting them through. They didn't know which scroll that they have or even if they have a scroll but of course his brother didn't think of that.

"Gaara! It is best to get some information first." Kankuro said. "If we both have the same scroll, then there is no need to fight. Pointless fighting…"

"_Is unnecessary." _Karura said, finishing her eldest son sentence.

"That doesn't matter." Gaara said, turning his body away from his sibling. He felt his body stiffen when he felt a familiar presence in the tree behind him. He looked at the tree and was surprised to see the blond-haired girl, Naruto staring at him with curiosity.

"Those who meet my eyes…" Gaara said, staring at the Ame genin with such cold eyes. "All must die."

Karura looked at Naruto and was surprised to see that the girl seemed to be frowning at her son's behavior in disappointment, not in fear, as she would have expected. But why is she looking at her son like that? Wouldn't she give up after hearing the coldness of her son's words? Than again, the girl in front of her was different.

"_Those three boys in front of Gaara won't see another daylight!"_ Karura said to Naruto as she glided towards the girl.

The blond-haired girl nodded and whispered, "I can tell that Gaara-san wasn't joking about that but…have your son ever made a joke in his life?"

The female ghost shook her head sadly at Naruto and said, _"Never but my son had once been sweet and friendly to people even through they hated and fear him because of the monster inside of him. That changed after my brother's actions towards him, he believes that no one could love him. "_

"I know how he feels," Naruto whispered sadly. "How can someone love a Jinchuuriki right?" she asked bitterly, looking at the forest around them in resentment. "To them, we are nothing but weapons or monsters, not once had they thought that we have feelings as well."

"_Milady, are you…" _Karura asked.

Naruto hesitated before nodding her head at her and said, "Yes, I am one of them but looking at Gaara-san makes me wonder if that is how I would turn out if I didn't have anyone to support me? If it hadn't been for the ghosts…I might have turned exactly like him."

"_Maybe you would have."_ Karura agreed, turning her head towards her son in worry.

Naruto's eyes widen in worry as she watched the flying needles attack Gaara and she wonder if he was going to be all right. She looked at Karura to see her reaction and was surprised to see the calm look on the woman's face. Was she not worry about what might happen to Gaara? She calmed herself down and waited for the smoke to disappear to see the result.

"Is that it…?" Gaara asked. Naruto was surprised to see that the walls of sands were protecting him but she was grateful to see that the boy was alive.

"No way, not a single one?" The Ame genin said, looking at Gaara in disbelief and shock. "He came out unscathed? Impossible…"

Gaara looked at the Ame nin in front of him with boredom and looked at Naruto, who seemed to be looking at him with relief and surprise. He frowned and wonders why she seemed to be relief? He had never seen such emotion on someone's face for him.

"_That is Gaara-kun Shield of Sand."_ Karura said, smiling down at her son. _"The sand protects him from getting any harm and will react regardless of Gaara's will. I think that this might do by my own will to protect Gaara."_

"That is nice to know," Naruto said softly. "It must be nice to know that even your mother care for you to do such a thing."

"_Milady, is there anything wrong?"_

"Of course not," Naruto said, giving the young woman a fake smile. "I am happy that you care so much for your son to go that far."

"A rain of needles eh? Then I guess I will…" Gaara said, drawing their attention back on him. Naruto frowned at the bloodthirsty look on his face and she knew that she wouldn't like what he was going to say next. "Make it rain blood!"

"A wall of sand?" The Ame genin asked in shock.

Kankuro nodded his head at them and explained, "Yes, a sand based…total defense! The sand is packed into the gourd with chakra; it protects his body and the surrounding area. A jutsu only allowed by Gaara…plus it all happens regardless of Gaara's will. For some reason it takes place automatically."

"His own teammate gives a better explanation than you." Naruto said dryly to Karura.

"_He isn't only his teammate but his brother in fact Temari is their sister."_ Karura admitted, looking at the other two teammates with love.

"They sure don't act like it," Naruto pointed out, leaning against the tree. She did not know why she was watching this match but than again, she needed to find some entertainment and this was the only thing that was on.

"Basically, against Gaara…all attacks are useless." Kankuro concluded.

"_Not true, there is a way around the defense system."_ Karura admitted grudgingly.

"Really, now?" Naruto asked, looking at the woman with interest. If she were to go up against Gaara than knowing these defenses is an essential because there was no way in hell that she was going to get herself or her comrades killed.

"That is not possible… those needles have the power to pierce 5mm of steel." The Ame genin said shakily.

The blue-eyed girl looked at the man in front of them with shocked at this piece of information. Now the chances of someone getting through those defense is very low but there is a way or why else would Karura say there is a way around it.

"You cannot defeat our Gaara." Kankuro said.

Karura and Naruto watched in dread and sadness as Gaara ruthlessly killed the Ame genin. The blond-haired girl had never felt so much sadness and empathy for the redhead boy till she had heard Karura say that it was the fault of his uncle. If he had gotten someone to be his friend, maybe none of this would have happened.

"No suffering, because I killed him so quickly he didn't have time to experience it," Gaara said, turning his cold eyes at the other two Ame genin. "The blood mixes with the flowing sand and grants more power to its killer."

"We…we'll give you the scroll." The Ame genin said, shakily offering them their earth scroll.

"Please…let us go…" His other teammate said, begging them.

Naruto closed her eyes and listened at the dwindling screams of the two Ame genin. She opened her eyes and locked eyes at Gaara, wondering how someone can kill a person that easily? Does he not feel guilt for what had he done? So many questions yet not so many answers.

"Damn it, it is another Earth Scroll!" Kankuro said, scowling at the Earth scroll in front of them. "We already have an Earth Scroll."

"You can come out of the shadows, now!" Gaara growled.

Kankuro frowned and wondered what he was talking about. There was no one there but them, wasn't it? His question was soon answered when the familiar pretty blond-haired girl jumped down from one of the trees above them.

"Nice to meet you again, Gaara-san." Naruto said, smiling at him. "I do hope that you are not going to attack me."

"Why not? I haven't had enough yet." Gaara said, giving her a craze look.

Kankuro opened his mouth to tell Gaara not to do something so reckless but was stopped by the blond girl herself, who looked at his brother with boredom and was that understanding he was seeing? No he must have imagined it! Because no one understands what goes through that insane boy's head.

"What would killing me resolve? It would not prove your existence and I am simply too weary to have a fight against you, Gaara-san." Naruto said, rubbing the back of her neck uncomfortably. "However, I believe that we can help each other."

"Help each other? How so?" Gaara asked, looking at the blond-haired girl with curiosity. He could not deny that she interest him with her words.

"Normally, I would not do a trade with a foreign nin." Naruto admitted, giving the three Suna nins a sly smile. "But I am willing to make an exception with you guys if you give me your extra Earth Scroll."

"And what is in it for us?" Temari asked, looking at her fellow blond with suspicion.

Naruto smiled and answered, "Simple, I have an extra heaven scroll so I believe that this is fair. It is a win-win situation, both of us are happy and none of us gets hurts."

"And why should we trust you?" Temari asked.

The blond-haired girl shrugged her shoulders and said. "You shouldn't but it is either you guys getting into another fight and finding another earth scroll or you agreeing to do the exchange," she then added thoughtfully. "Besides, do you really want to stay in this awful forest longer than necessary?"

"Alright." Gaara agreed.

Naruto looked at him in surprise and asked, "I should be grateful that you change your mind but I wonder, why did you change it, Gaara-san? A boy like you seemed to be really stubborn."

"You interest me, Uzumaki and besides I would like to fight you in the finals and to see if you can prove my existence." Gaara said, looking at the blond-haired girl with a cool look.

"I see than Gaara-san," Naruto paused and give him a small smirk of her own. "I would like to see how I would fare against you."

She than reached out of her bag and threw the extra Heaven scroll to them, at least she had got into contact with them. Kankuro barely caught the scroll while Gaara snatched the Earth Scroll from his hand and threw it to the girl, who caught it with ease.

"By the way, Gaara-san I do believe that I owe you one for not killing me when you had the chance." Naruto said as she turned around to go to the direction where she thinks her teammate might be.

"You are strange one, Uzumaki." Gaara said, watching as the blond-haired girl left them alone.

Kankuro looked at Gaara and than to the spot that Naruto had been just standing on. For the first time in his life, the elder boy saw his brother not kill anyone and a girl at that instead he had done the most logical thing to do. Was that really Gaara? He shook his head at his thought and thought that it was just luck.

Still, the girl had been able to do something that none of them could have done and that was to calm down Gaara. If there was one thing that Kankuro was certain about, it was the fact that Naruto was one weird girl that had guts, who just happened to be able to do the impossible.

* * *

**Author Note: Please review.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author Note: I would like to thank everyone that reviewed the last chapter and had added this to their story alerts or favorite story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto through I wished that I did.**

* * *

Finding Sakura and Sasuke had turned out to be easier than she had originally had thought. Naruto had to follow the scent of Sakura's scent as well as using her shadow clones to find them.

It had been morning when she had caught scent of Sakura's perfume and she had finally deciding to use her shadow clones to have a good look at them. It would have been a lot nicer if she were a specialized tracker but the only thing she was good at was tracking down by chakra only as well as scent.

It had been a good thing she had been able to recognize the spot where the wind jutsu had hit them or in her case knock away. She was half-tempted to go back and see how Gaara was doing but decided against it. It was one thing to worry about his mental health and another to take care of him.

Naruto leaned against the tree that she was currently standing on and waited for the memories of her shadow clones to appear. It would have been a better idea for her to go by herself but she wanted to know the exact location on where they are rather than a general area.

She closed her eyes as the memory of the dispelled clones hit her, sending her the exact location of where Sasuke and Sakura was. Her lips curled into a frown as she recalled her clone memory of how sickly looking Sasuke looked. What happened to the two of them when she was gone? So many questions that needs to be answered.

The blond-haired girl sighed and knew that there was no time for her to be lazing around, even if it was tempting.

If Naruto were to be honest to her, she would rather be trying to figure out a way to help Gaara than spending time with Sakura, who always was trying to test her patience.

Just as she was reaching towards where Sasuke and Sakura were, she saw Rock Lee on his knees in front of the same three Sound nins that had hurt Kabuto in the first exam. Her eyes widen in worry when she saw Lee clutching his ear in pain and the way Sakura looked so nervous.

_I leave them for a day and they get into trouble! And they say that I always get them into trouble well it certainly didn't seemed like it now and also what wrong with Sasuke-teme chakra? It feels so dark now, almost reminds me that of a snake._

Taking a deep calm breath, Naruto ran towards the leader of the Sound nin with twenty-five percent of her speed.

In one minute, Naruto appeared next to the leader and slammed her fist into the side of his head with ten percent of her strength. It was tempting to kill him but she needed answers and so punching him with ten percent of her strength would have to do.

Sakura looked at the new arrival in shock. She knew that she wasn't the only one that was shocked, Lee was also and by the expression on the Sound nin's faces, they were as well. She had never been so grateful to see her teammate till now.

"Sorry, I am late Sakura," Naruto said with a wry smile playing on her lips. "But you can't believe the traffic jam that resulted in my dely."

"_Milady am I glad to see you! Something has happened to Sasuke and I don't know what it is!" _Mikoto cried. Naruto nodded her head at this piece of information and made a mental note to ask her more about what happened along with Sakura.

"Liar." Sakura said weakly but for the first time since Naruto had known her, she actually looked happy to see her.

"You should really have seen the traffic jam, Sakura, it would have shocked you." Naruto said, jokingly. Sakura laughed weakly at her teammate joke and was grateful to see that even in the most serious of situations, Naruto could still joked.

"I am here now so you don't have to worry anymore, Sakura." Naruto said with a harden look on her face. The three sound nins in front of her flinched at the blond-haired girl look and all three of them agreed that the girl in front of them is not one to make an enemy out of. "Now, what are your names?"

"The girl is called Kin and the boy with the scarf is called Zaku, I think." Sakura answered in a slightly confused tone. "The leader is called Dosu but I am not too sure."

"Stay away from him when you fight," Lee said in a pained voice. "That thing on his arm uses some kind of trick with the sound."

"I will be alright, Lee-san." Naruto said with a small smile playing on her lips. "I got a pretty good idea on what that trick he uses with the sound."

Just as she finished speaking, Dosu came charging towards at her from the side, but Naruto simply grabbed hold of his arm and did a quick chop on the device in his hand.

To both Dosu and his team surprise, the device in his arm was broken into two but before even the boy could react, Naruto twisted the boy's arms and snapped his bone into two before twirling the boy from behind and kicking him in the behind.

"You are lucky that I am feeling very merciful to you today because if it had been anyone else, I would have killed you." Naruto said coldly to the bandaged boy that clutches his arm in pain before punching him in the head, knocking him unconscious.

"Now I would recommend you two to attack me at the same time, otherwise you won't have any chance in beating me through I doubt that you have any chance in beating me." Naruto said, yawning at the two of them.

"I don't know who you think you are but you have-" the one named Zaku began.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, it is a delight for me to beat you into a bloody pulp for what you have done to my teammates." Naruto said, smiling sweetly at the enrage boy in front of her. She glanced back at Sakura and added thoughtfully. "Oh by the way, Sakura you are going to tell me what happened while I was gone without even thinking of lying!"

"I don't lie!" Sakura protested.

"I know but I want you to know that I want the full story of what happened since I was gone and don't try to leave out any details." Naruto informed her teammate. Sakura opened her mouth to protest to her teammate but didn't have the chance to instead she was left to watch her teammate protect them.

A dozen needles were flying at Naruto, courtesy of the Sound kunoichi.

Naruto yawned and effortlessly dodged the dozen needles as she ran towards Kin before throwing her own shurikens towards the girl.

She clapped her hands together and quietly said, "Wind Release: Gale Palm."

With a satisfied smile, Naruto watched as her shurikens became faster and was now going towards Kin in full speed. The girl was not able to dodge all the shurikens in time and had now fainted from the blood lost while her teammate had jumped up in the air when he realized that such a technique could be dealt with by dodging.

"Supersonic Slicing Waves," he said, emitting seemingly relentless amounts of sound waves towards her.

The blond-haired inhaled a huge amount of oxygen before weaving the hand-seals and exhaled a jutsu that she thinks could counter act it.

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough." Naruto said, looking at the older teen in resentment. She watched as their two attacks collide and how the two jutsus mostly canceled each other out but of course her jutsu was able to give some strong powerful wind that was able to attack the boy.

"Amazing." Sakura said in awe. Naruto had always been the dead last to her but recent events made her question her about the skill level of her teammate and what had just happened just solidly the fact that the blond-haired girl was stronger than they had originally thought.

Lee was surprised as well. The girl in front of him certainly did not seem to appear like a dead-last in the slightest in fact he would even go far as to say she acted like The Rookie of the year.

Naruto was aware of the shock looks of Sakura and Lee in fact she was not surprised that those two would be shocked. Today was the first time that she allowed her teammate to have a little taste of how strong she was but they did not need to know her truth strength.

She took a deep breath and quickly prepared for the jutsu that will allow her to take them out of the air.

"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld." Naruto muttered as she put her hands into the ground. She watched in satisfaction as the ground beneath her enemies feet turn to mud and how they struggled to get out.

The blond-haired girl grabbed the unconscious Sound nin in front of her and threw him towards his teammates. She weaved the necessary hand-seals for her final attack at them and launched another Wind Style: Great Breakthrough at them.

The jutsu slammed into all three Sound nins and sent them flying, along with the mud. As soon as she could no longer see them, Naruto undid the Earth jutsu and was for once in her life grateful for her large chakra reserves because she wasn't tired one bit in fact she felt like she could run a whole marathon.

She turned around and looked at Sakura and Lee with a small smile lit up on her face. They looked both shocked and awed at what had just happened.

"_Milady, you did a good job on protecting them!"_ Mikoto said, gliding towards the blond-haired girl. _"I don't know what would have happened to them if you haven't came along!"_

Naruto frowned at this piece of information and glanced at her teammate and the older boy, wondering what was going through their head.

The blond-haired girl had no idea that she had just given Sakura a wake-up call or that the pink-haired girl was now comparing herself to her. Her teammate took all three of them down as if it was a piece of cake and she was so useless against them. Naruto was the dead last; she didn't need the girl to be upstaging her but that what just happened. She did something she couldn't do.

"Lee-san, I am grateful for the fact that you saved my teammate and as a sign of my gratitude, I shall wait for your team just to make sure that you are alright however I must scold you for your actions for your team sakes." Naruto said, smiling apologetically to the boy.

"Naruto, he just saved-"Sakura began.

"I know but I still need to give some kind of scolding and we also need to looked at his wounds." Naruto explained, walking towards Lee.

"Now, first off what you did was something very noble in fact I will even go as far as to say that was not something many people would do and for that I am grateful." Naruto said, smiling brightly at him. Her face turned serious and she grimly continued. "However, you must think before you get into that fight, first off Lee-san why didn't you think of the consequence? Have you thought that you might have gotten yourself killed or so injured that you can't become a ninja?"

"I am sorry but I couldn't leave your teammate to be killed." Lee explained.

The blond-haired girl eyes soften at his words and she shook her head at him before saying, "And for that I am grateful but please if you fight opponents like that, I want you to think before you fought them or the very least don't let your emotions get the better of you."

He nodded his head at her and Naruto looked at Lee's wounds, doing a careful examination of it. His ear was bleeding and she suspected that it would be awhile before he could hear properly again but lucky for him, she got some first aid in her bag.

"Sakura, I need you to do first-aid on Lee!" Naruto barked at her teammate.

"But why me?" Sakura asked in shock. "Wouldn't it be better for you to do? I mean you were the one that was able to get the herbs to help Kakashi-sensei in the Wave mission."

"Yes but when it comes to medical stuff, I am not the best person suited for it." Naruto admitted, giving her teammate a smile. "No, I believe that is where your specialties are in fact I will even go as far as to say that out of all our classmates, you are the only one here that can be the best medi-nin."

Sakura looked at her in shock and wondered if her teammate was joking but the serious look on her teammate face told her that she wasn't kidding. For the first time since she knew her, Naruto gave her a compliment and an idea for what she can do to help her team. She didn't like to see anyone get hurt and she didn't want to fight so maybe healing was her calling.

"Alright, Naruto, I will do it." Sakura said. Naruto smile turned bigger and the girl threw the first aid kit towards her teammate.

"_You are one sneaky girl aren't you?"_ Mikoto said to the girl as she went to stand on the trees, waiting for any signs of Lee's team.

"I don't know what you are talking about!" Naruto said, shrugging her shoulders at him. "All I told her was the truth."

"_You may have told her the truth but you stretch it when you said that she would be the best medi-nin! And don't you think leaving her with that Mini-Gai is a little bit_ _to the extreme?"_ Mikoto asked.

"Look, Sakura needs to know that she does have other options and as for Lee, I wanted to show her that there are guys that are really sweet. I mean how many boys do you know would go that far for a person?" Naruto asked the ghost. She sneaked a glance at Sakura and chuckled at the sight of the pink-haired girl trying to tell Lee to stop moving around.

"_Not many but honestly aren't you a bit young to play match-maker?"_ Mikoto asked.

"Very, but I need to find a way to break that habit that Sakura has." Naruto admitted.

"_And you think that this would be able to break this habit of hers?"_ Mikoto asked in shocked.

The blue-eyed girl chuckled and admitted, "It is a crazy idea but it is better than no idea and Sakura may seem useless now but a small part of me believes that she can be much more than who she portrays herself to be."

"_Really now? What makes you say such things?"_ Mikoto asked.

"Honestly, I do not know but I trust my gut, they never failed me before." Naruto answered, turning her head to check on Sakura and Lee.

The Uchiha Matron watched silently as Naruto returned back to her teammate and Lee. The stiffness of her walk and the alertness in her eyes made her feel guilty for not helping the child when she was alive. A girl her age did not deserve to act this way but unfortunately Naruto was not a normal girl, she was special and in a good way.

* * *

It was only half-an hour after the fight ended, when Lee's teammates had picked them up. His teammates were not exactly like she had expected them to be, Neji was the complete opposite of Lee in every way while Tenten was… well she didn't know what to think of the girl.

Still after saying goodbye to the energetic boy, Naruto had immediately created two shadow clones to carry her teammates. Sakura had protested about her using the clones but as Naruto had pointed out, she was already too worn out to walk.

Now, it had been a couple of hours since they left Lee with his teammates and Naruto and her team had finally reached the tower in the center of the forest but they would have gotten their sooner if it weren't for the fact that she had to carry them.

Sasuke had woken up two hours into their journey towards the tower and it made her worry when she saw those suspicious markings around his body but they quickly disappeared when she informed him that they were going to the tower.

She would have asked him if it weren't for the fact that his parents had spilled the whole story to her. It worries her that the two of them had been attacked by the Hokage's ex-student and that he gave him some weird hickey or as Fugaku said seal.

They didn't actually met any opposition along the way thanks to her ingenious jutsu that she had created a few months ago that was a combination of wind chakra and shadow clones. Her clones would have attacked the opposition in front of them, silently, which they have.

And they say that curiosity killed the cat!

"How did you get a Earth Scroll, Naruto?" Sasuke asked as he climbed off her shadow clone.

"I made a trade off," Naruto admitted, watching in amusement as Sakura stumbled from her clone's back.

"Trade off? What did you made a trade of?" Sasuke asked, looking at her both with curiosity and suspicion.

The blond-haired girl pursed her lips and answered, "I had an extra-heaven scroll and the people I traded with had an extra-earth scroll so I thought why not solve both of our problems by doing a trade." Naruto shrugged her shoulder and continued. "If I hadn't done the trade off, it might have been life and death and I am too beautiful to die so young." She joked.

"What do you mean by that, Naruto?" Sasuke asked.

The blue-eyed girl smiled and teased him, "Is that worry I am hearing Sasuke? I didn't know that you care so much about little old me."

"You are my teammate of course I care for you!" Sasuke protested. His pale face was slightly red from embarrassment or anger, Naruto did not know but she guessed it was a little bit of both.

"_Now, Sasuke why don't you tell her how you really feel."_ Mikoto said, smiling at her son in amusement.

"Look, I had it under control." Naruto informed, ignoring the Uchiha matron words about Sasuke's feelings towards her. "He had a chance to kill me but he didn't take it that tells me that he is not as bad as he seems."

"Can you at least tell me who you did the trade with, dope!" Sasuke asked.

The blond-haired girl shook her head at him and than happily said to him, "Come on let us go inside the tower and see who also made it." Sasuke opened his mouth to ask her question but Naruto shot him a pleading look and said, "Please Sasuke, I don't want us to get into a fight now."

"Hn," Sasuke said but Naruto knew from his tone that he agreed to her wishes.

Sakura watched as Sasuke and Naruto interact and for the first time since they became a team noticed that the raven-haired teen relaxed his guard when he was around Naruto. She didn't know why she had never noticed it and the words of that snake-man rang through her head.

_You are afraid to tell the girl that you love that you love her._

Those were the words that Orochimaru had said to Sasuke before she had passed out. Looking at the two of them, Sakura realized with a heavy heart who that girl was.

"Alright, Sakura?" Naruto asked, looking at her with concern and worry.

The pink-haired girl nodded her head at her teammate and gave her a fake smile but the small frown on her teammate's face told her that she didn't fool her. It surprised Sakura that Naruto did not ask any questions but she was grateful.

Naruto noticed that the tower in front of them had forty-four doors around it. A lot of doors if you asked her opinion but it was only logical that some of these doors lead to the same room but how many she didn't know but definitely more than two. They walked around the tower until they found a door that didn't have a ripped paper, if they paper wasn't ripped than it hadn't been used.

After five minutes walking around the tower, Naruto and her team had found a door that hadn't been used and opened the doors. The three of them walked through the entrance into a large room.

"Well, if there was one thing for certain, there is nobody here." Naruto pointed out dryly as she decided to take a seat on the floor. She was mentally exhausted from their travels.

"Really, I had no idea Naruto!" Sakura said sarcastically. She sighed and shook her head before asking, "Now, what should we do?"

"It is very simple Bubblegum: we are going to open the two scrolls." Naruto said as if she was speaking to a slow child.

Sakura raised her eyebrows at her teammate and firmly said, "First off, don't call me that Naruto! Second are you insane? They told us not to open it!"

"I am not insane, Sakura, I remembered that they gave us a loophole to us!" Naruto said smugly. "They said not to open it on the way but not when we reached the tower that meant they wanted us to open it there!"

Sakura opened her mouth to protest but stopped when she noticed a sign in front of them. "Look at that!" she said, pointing to her teammates at the sign.

"Without heaven… I wonder if it means…" Naruto muttered under her breath as she looked at the sign in front of them with interest.

"Looks like it is missing some words there." Sakura said as she pointed at a blank between two kanji.

"Probably another signs that we should open the scrolls." Naruto suggested.

"But Naruto, how sure can you-"

"Sakura, I think that it is safe for us to open the scrolls now that we are at the tower." Sasuke said tiredly before adding. "And Naruto won't shut up until you do as she said."

"I have you know that I would have shut up…eventually." Naruto said, crossing her arms at him.

"Sure you would have Dope." Sasuke said sarcastically.

Naruto gave him a mock glare before she removed a set of scrolls from her bag and handed the heaven scroll to Sakura. They nodded at each other in silent agreement before unrolling the scrolls at the same time.

Smoke erupted from the scrolls and revealed none other than Iruka Umino. "Hey! Long time no see." Iruka said with a small smile as he saw his former students.

"What is going on?" Sakura asked, looking shocked at the sight of their former sensei.

Iruka looked at his former students and frowned at the sight of the bruises and worn looks on their face, the only one that seemed to be less affected was Naruto, who looked happy to see him.

"Looks like you guys had trouble." Iruka said as he finally got over his shock.

"Iruka-sensei as much as I love seeing you here, I want to know why you have been summoned." Naruto said giving their former sensei an apologetic look. "It is just well I am confused."

"At the end of this second test, it's set up so we chunins meet up with the exam takers and I was allowed to be the one to greet you." Iruka explained.

Sakura frowned and asked, "What do you mean by greet us?"

"All three of you pass the second test, congratulations. To celebrate your successful completion of the second test, I would like to buy you a round of ramen but you will have to wait until later." Iruka said, giving an apologetic look to a pouting Naruto.

"That's unfair and I was for once giving my all into this exam." Naruto grumbled under her breath.

"Don't worry, Naruto-chan, the ramen won't disappear." Iruka assured the blond girl. She grinned at him and nodded enthusiastically at him before yawning. Man was she beat up.

"If we had open the scrolls during the test, what were you going to do Iruka-sensei?" Sasuke asked, glancing at Iruka in curiosity.

"Yes, what would you have done sensei? I realized that the test was set up to test our ability to perform missions correctly so what would have happened if we had broken those rules and open the scrolls?" Naruto asked, looking at him in curiosity and interest.

"And now you decided to show us that brain of yours, Naruto-chan." Iruka teased.

"Oi! I always use my brain, I just didn't use it as much as other people!" Naruto said, defending herself.

"_Yes, just like someone I know."_ Fugaku muttered as he watched the blond-haired girl defend herself.

"Iruka-sensei, what would have happened if we had broken those rules?" Sakura asked, reminding the two of the question that they had asked earlier.

"I would have been forced to put all three of you in a condition of unconsciousness for the remaining of the test period. Those were my orders." Iruka said in a serious tone.

"Well, wasn't it a good thing that I decided to listen to the rules and not open the scrolls!" Naruto said cheerfully to her teammates.

"Naruto! You don't mean you would have…" Sakura trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

"_It wouldn't be the first time that she would have done it."_ Mikoto said, dryly looking at the blond-haired girl in seriousness.

"What! I am curious person and so it is only natural of me to want to open it!" Naruto defended herself. "But lucky for us that I didn't use my thirst of knowledge right?"

"Yes or Kami knows how long you would have been unconscious." Sasuke muttered under his breath.

"Oh yes, sensei! What is the meaning of the writing on the wall?" Sakura asked, pointing to the sign behind him. "It seems like there is a word missing and we can't figure it out."

"Well, I have an idea on what it is about." Naruto admitted, flickering her eyes towards the sign in front of them. "But I don't know whether it is right or not so sensei please correct me if I am wrong."

"Go ahead, Naruto." Iruka said, wanting to hear the theory that the blond-haired girl has.

"Well, I believe that it is written about the qualities that a chunin should have." Naruto said, tapping her finger on her chin. "Because I once remember, the Hokage telling me that the human mind can also be known as Heaven while the human body, he once refers to as Earth. That is what the paragraph refers to?"

"Yes, Naruto that is what the paragraph refers to." Iruka said, smiling at her.

The blond-haired girl nodded in satisfaction and continued. "Than I believe when they say if you lack Heaven, seek wisdom and be prepared which means if my weakness is my brain than 'gain knowledge and prepare yourself for the missions which means I got to study harder. Am I right so far?"

"Yes, Naruto that is correct so far." Iruka said, nodding his head at her. The lack of knowledge that Naruto had before was her greatest weakness when she was in the Academy but after a year in the Academy that changed and she would always go to him for help and that was when he saw the brightness in her.

"Which would mean if you lack Earth, run in the fields and seek advantages. The best example of this would be Sakura, who while may be the smartest out of the three of us is also the weakest in stamina and so someone like Sakura would need to train hard." Naruto concluded.

"Hey, stamina is not my weakness!" Sakura protested.

"_Sorry, child but Naruto is right about your weakness."_ Mikoto grumbled as she thought about the fact that the pink-haired girl is a disgrace to kunoichi everywhere.

"Sakura, you can barely run three laps around the training ground without becoming tired." Naruto pointed out dryly. "It is nothing to be ashamed about, Ino also has the same problems as well in fact most kunoichis in our year had that problem but unlike them, you got a brain and you use it to your advantage."

Sakura smiled at the complement from her teammate while Sasuke and Iruka glanced at each other to see if that was really the Naruto they know. The Naruto they know does not act like this way.

"Right now back to my conclusion, so if you have both heaven and earth, you can succeed even at the most dangerous of missions which does mean that the missions we will have would be safe and easy." Naruto concluded.

"I am surprise that you figure out this quickly, I wish you acted this way in class." Iruka grumbled.

"Sensei, if you didn't give such long and boring speeches than I would have acted that way in class and anyways I did pay attention, I just didn't show it." Naruto said, grinning at him.

"Okay that is nice and all but what about the part with the missing word, Naruto?" Sakura asked her teammate.

"Oh that… I got no idea." Naruto admitted.

"Than all that long talk was for nothing!" Sakura screeched.

"No, it was not for nothing. I had to explain to you what they meant by Earth and Heaven." Naruto grumbled at her teammate.

"Well, Naruto was correct in everything and it isn't a surprise that you didn't figure out the missing words." Iruka said, ruffling the blond haired girl's hair. He than unrolled the summoning scroll and showed it to them and started to explain. "The word that represents a chunin, the 'person' word from the scroll goes there. The last sentence is 'these rules will guide a person extreme."

"That is understandable." Naruto said as her teammates nodded in agreement with her.

"These five days of survival were to test the exam takers basic abilities needed to become a chunin and you guys successfully pass that. Chunin are at the rank of military captain, you have the responsibilities of guiding a team. The knowledge, stamina, and inner wisdom, all are needed for your duties." Iruka said. "I want you guys to challenge the next step with the chunin motto in mind."

"That is all that I have to pass on to you." Iruka said.

"Got it Captain." Naruto said doing a fake salute at her ex-sensei.

"But this third and final test, don't push yourself too hard. Especially you Naruto, I worry about you the-" Iruka was interrupted by said blond girl.

"I became an adult in the eyes of this village when I received this Konoha forehead protector that means I am no longer an Academy student. I am no longer a child and yes I am sarcastic at times as well as cold but I know my limits Iruka-sensei but I am a ninja not a Academy student." Naruto said, firmly.

"I see. I am sorry Naruto." Iruka said, giving him a small smile.

"Apology accepted but Iruka-sensei, how long do we still have?" Naruto asked in curiosity. "I mean it feels like I have been in there for ages."

"The test started a day ago, Naruto." Iruka answered with a chuckle. "You are the only the third team to finish. I can show you to the rooms you will be staying in until the test is over and done with."

"For curiosity sakes, was the team from Suna one of those other two teams?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, they arrived extremely fast breaking the record to coming the tower, actually." Iruka said, surprised that Naruto guessed the right answer. "The other team was Team Eight, who arrived a couple of hours after them."

"So the Suna team, did they have a redhead with them?" Naruto asked.

"_You like that Gaara boy a lot."_ Mikoto sang out. Naruto wished that the Uchiha Matron was alive for her to throw the kunai at her.

"Yes." Iruka said with a raised eyebrow. "He seemed quite agitated when he saw that Team Eight was the one that arrived here after them."

"So where are our rooms?" Naruto asked, smiling at Iruka. She knew that she could not avoid the silent question that Iruka was asking.

"Sure." Iruka said with a look that said that she could delay it.

Damn it! She didn't want him to question her about the redhead but Naruto knew that delaying it was better than telling him in front of everyone.

* * *

As soon as they arrived to their rooms, Sakura immediately went to sleep and Naruto didn't blame her, the girl had stayed up the whole night protecting Sasuke. She watched as Iruka led Sasuke to see the Hokage.

It only took her telling Iruka that Orochimaru had gave Sasuke a strange hickey mark was enough to get Iruka out of her hair and Sasuke pissed off at the same time. It was only fair that he learns of the consequence of not listening to her about Lee, through it was a few days ago but it was still payback.

She looked at the room around her before deciding to leave. There was nothing for her to do inside the room after all. There were three bedrooms connected by a large room with a few sofas and a bookshelves as well as a small table.

It was only natural for her to explore the tower after all she was going to spend the next three days in here.

Before too long, she had ran into the exact person that she had been trying her best not to think about.

"Hello Gaara-san." Naruto said as she gave the redhead boy a smile

"_My son had been agitated to see that you had not arrived earlier."_ Karura said, smiling at the blond-haired girl in front of her.

"Uzumaki, why did you not arrive earlier? I would have presumed since you got the scrolls that you would have come here." Gaara said, looking at her with emotionless eyes.

"I would have come earlier but it took me a while to find my teammates." Naruto said, shrugging her shoulders. "I had to kick that Sound's team ass just to save them before coming here."

Gaara arched his invisible eyebrows at her and Naruto had the impression that he didn't quite believe her. "What I am telling the truth, they attacked my team and I had to save their ass." She insisted.

"I didn't say anything." Gaara said.

"But you were thinking it." Naruto said, smiling at him. "Honestly, yesterday I got separated from my teammates and I would have immediately gone to them if it weren't for the fact that I was thinking that I might be able to get an Earth Scroll for us."

Gaara nodded his head at her.

"Through, I am surprised that you are still up." Naruto admitted, looking out at the window. "Shouldn't you be asleep? I mean it is late now."

"I can't sleep." Gaara said.

"Can't or won't?" Naruto pressed on, looking at him with worry. It is the first time that she heard of someone in his condition and she wanted to see if she could help him in anyway.

"I find it impossible to sleep." Gaara admitted.

"_The demon inside of him will take over his body if he were to sleep."_ Karura explained to the girl.

The blond-haired girl nodded her head at him in understanding before giving him a grin. "Since you can't sleep and I am not tired, why not play a game?" she asked him.

"A g-game?" Gaara said, looking at her in surprise. He had never played a game in his life and none of the kids in the village played with him but this girl wanted to play a game with him.

"Yes, a game." Naruto confirmed, grinning at him. "Just because we are competing against each other doesn't mean we can't play!"

"You are strange." Gaara said. "One minute, you are all serious and the next you are playful, how can a person be like that?"

"I guess I am special like that." Naruto said, smiling at him. She than touched him on the shoulder and added, "You are it!"

"I am it?" Gaara asked, furrowing his non-existent eyebrows at her.

"Don't tell me you never played tag before!" Naruto said, gawking at him in shock.

Gaara shook his head at her and before he knew it, the blond-haired girl had launched an explanation to him about how to play the game. He nodded his head in understand as he realized what the game was about.

"Well, catch me if you can!" Naruto said gleefully as she ran away.

Gaara could feel the corners of his mouth curling into a smile and he suddenly realized that the blond-haired girl was not scared of him. Were all the people of Konoha like her or was it just her? With that thought on his head, the redhead started to ran after the girl.

Over the next couple of days, Naruto would spend a lot of Gaara' time playing games and teaching the boy the meaning of fun.

* * *

**Author Note: Please review.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author Note: I would like to thank everyone that reviewed the last chapter and had added this to their story alerts or favorite story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto through I wished that I did.**

* * *

Naruto yawned as she stood with the other genins that had passed the survival test in the Forest of Death. She didn't want to be disrespectful or be more disrespectful as usual but she just wanted the old man to start giving them his boring speech.

She was extremely happy that the second test was over because as much as she loved playing games with Gaara, she just couldn't stand not being outside of the building. She had always hated being trapped, it reminded her of her childhood.

Looking around at the teams in the room, Naruto chuckled. It seemed like all her fellow rookies had past along with Lee's team, Kabuto's team, and Gaara's team of course as well as those despicable Sound nin. She smiled at the sight of his heavily damaged arm, it seemed like that she had done a lot of damaged to that particular part of his body.

"First off, congratulations on passing the second test." Anko said, drawing everyone attention in front of the small crowd in front of the crowd. Behind her were people who Naruto presume to be the jounin-sensei of the teams that passed, along with the Hokage.

She smiled at the sight of the Yondaime Hokage waving his hands at her and grinned at the sight of Obito giving her thumbs up. Those two were her favorite ghosts especially Obito with his funny sense of humor. It would be nice if she could talk to them but she mustn't draw attention to herself.

"Sasuke-kun's team passed too!" Ino squealed as she recognized Sasuke and his teammates standing beside Kiba's team.

Naruto smiled in amusement and thought to herself that having the furry fox inside of her does have it uses especially when it comes to hearing. She looked at Sasuke and shook her head at him in pity and embarrassment.

"Why are you shaking your head like that, dope?" Sasuke whispered, staring at his blond teammate with a suspicious look.

"_She overheard one of your fangirl's conversations."_ Mikoto said as Naruto bowed her head from muffling the laughter that was threatening to come out.

"I believe that you are going to have your hands full when you are going to deal with Ino. I have a feeling that she might ambush you later and ask you on a date." Naruto answered in amusement.

Sasuke face turned pale at her proclamation and turned to look at Ino, which caused Naruto to laugh. He glared at her, which caused her to laugh even harder. It was not funny and the girl knew it! She knew how much he despises and feared his fangirls.

"It isn't funny, Naruto!" Sasuke whispered harshly. "You have no idea on how they behave."

"Of course not," Naruto said dryly. "I am no fangirl but it is funny to see that the mighty Sasuke is afraid of his own fangirls."

"You would be too if you know some of the methods that they have used to get my attention." Sasuke said, shuddering as he remembered some of their methods.

"Then I am very lucky that I don't have any fanboys aren't I?" Naruto asked in amusement.

Sasuke snorted at his teammate's words but didn't bother to correct the clueless blond-haired girl about it. It would give the blond girl a bigger ego and the world didn't need that. Besides if she doesn't figure something as obvious as this then she doesn't need to know.

"Hokage-sama will now explain the third test." Anko announced. "So listen carefully." She turned to the Hokage, gesturing for him to come forward and said politely, "Now Hokage-sama please."

"Yes." Hiruzen said, nodding his head at Anko before he walked over and stood in the spot where Anko had been standing.

"Before I explain for the coming third test, there is something I would like you to know. It concerns the true reason for this exam. Why do we have alliance countries taking the exam together? The most common answer you would be often given is to promote friendship among the countries and to raise the level of shinobis. I don't want you to be confused about the true meaning of this exam is… " He gave them a dramatic pause before continuing. "A replacement for war among the allied countries."

"What does that mean?" Tenten called out.

The Hokage opened his mouth to explain to the girl but was interrupted by Naruto, who had decided to answer the question for him.

"If you were to look at the history of our country, you would have realized that our allies were once our enemies, obviously I don't need to tell you that they fought each other over who rule. But if I were to guess that is the reason these chunin exams came to be." Naruto spoke out. She added thoughtfully to the Hokage. "Sorry for interrupting you, Hokage-sama but I thought that I could at least help in explaining for you."

"_It is nice to see that you haven't lost your manners."_ Obito joked causing Naruto to chuckle at him.

"Yes, well Naruto was correct on the fact that our allies used to be our enemies but what you need to know is that to prevent wasteful fighting, the stage that these countries chose for battle and so yes this is the origin of this chunin selection exam." Hiruzen said.

"Now here is question, isn't this thing for deciding who is ready to be a chunin? Why must we have to do this? Is there another side of this exam that we don't know about?" Naruto piped up, looking at the old man that she considers as a grandfather with a thoughtful look.

"The exam does decide which shinobis have what it takes to become chunin. And yes, this exam has another side, where each shinobis risks their own life to protect their land's prestige." Hiruzen answered.

"Hmm that makes sense." Naruto muttered as she looked around at the other genins beside her.

"Prestige?" Ino asked in disbelief.

"Watching this third exam will be leaders and influential individuals from many countries who make up the clients of the shinobis." Hiruzen said. "And the leaders of the countries will also be there to watch each of your battles."

Naruto frowned and said, "So basically we are just tools for them to use."

"_All ninjas are tools, Milady and you must not forget that."_ Mikoto said softly as she thought of her eldest son.

"If the strength of a country is clear, that country will receive more clients. And conversely, if seen as weak, they will lose clients." Hiruzen continued, ignoring Naruto's comment about them being tools. "And this will signal to potential enemy countries that our village has this power. So it will send a political message to the outsiders."

"Yes but why? Why do we have to risk our lives in battle?" Kiba asked angrily.

Naruto bowed her head at her friend's question and wished that she could argue like him but she knew the answer. It was an answer that she had once asked Minato-sensei when she was younger.

"The strength of the country is the strength of the village and the strength of the village is the strength of the Shinobi. And a Shinobi's true strength is born only through life-risking battle." Hiruzen said.

Everyone gulped at this information including Naruto, who had a feeling that she wouldn't like what the old Hokage was about to say next.

"This exam is a place to see each other country's strength and to show off your own strength." Hiruzen continued, giving the genins a dark look. "It only has meaning because lives are at risk. And that is why those that have come before you have fought in the Chunin Exam for this dream that is meaningful."

"But then why do you stuff about it being for 'friendship'?" Tenten asked.

Hiruzen sighed and answered, "I said it in the beginning, and I don't want you to confuse the purpose of this. By losing life and establishing balance, this is the shape of friendship in the world of the Shinobi. Before we begin the third test I will tell you one more thing. This is not just a test…this is a life-risking battle…with your drams and country prestige on the line."

Ino looked at the Hokage in disbelief and nervousness and she wasn't the only one, many of the genins had the same expression on their face. The only people that seem to be calm were Naruto, Sasuke and Gaara.

"Well, at least we know that we have something worth fighting for. At least we are not going to fight for some criminals' right? Through I think that they would do something even more worse." Naruto joked lightly.

Sakura looked at her teammate in disbelief and asked in shock, "How can you joke after all he said?"

"It is a gift." Naruto said, shrugging her shoulders at her teammate. "Besides being scared won't solve anything except getting me killed but then again a healthy dose of fear is alright."

"Naruto…"

"Yes, Sakura?"

"You realize that you are insane right?"

"I rather say that I am eccentric." Naruto disagreed.

Sakura rolled her eyes and thought to herself that the blond-haired girl had to be one of the strangest girls that she had ever met. Only Naruto can joke after hearing something as frightful as the Hokage said, it made her wonder what Naruto was scared of.

"I don't care what it is, just hurry up and tell us what this life-risking battle entails." Gaara snapped at the Hokage.

Naruto frowned and made a mental note to herself to help teach the redhead the value of patience. Through she didn't blame him for wanting the Hokage to tell them about the battle, she was also getting impatient.

"Yes, I would like to now explain the third test but-" Hiruzen said.

"Actually…I apologize, Hokage-sama…from here on, as the proctor will you please allow me to explain everything to them from now on." a sick looking jounin said, coughing occasionally.

"By all means." Hiruzen said, nodding his head at him.

"Hello everyone, I am Hayate and I will be the proctor for the third test. Before the test, there is something I would like to do."

"What would you like to do?" Naruto asked wearily, having a feeling that she won't like the answer to her question. She wouldn't even have asked the question if she hadn't already know that no one would ask the question.

"Well, it is a preliminary for the third test to decide who gets to participate in the main event." Hayate said.

"Preliminary?" Sakura mumbled.

"Preliminary? What do you mean?" Shikamaru yelled at the jounin. Haven't they been through enough? Now they wanted them to do a preliminary.

"Sensei…I don't understand this preliminary but why aren't all the people here allowed to participate in the next test?" Sakura asked. She glanced at Naruto and was surprised to see the blond-haired girl nodding at her in agreement instead of giving some comment.

"Umm…because the first and second test may have been too easy this year…we have a bit too many people remaining. According to Chunin Exam rules, we must have a preliminary and reduce the number of participants for the third test."

"No way…"Sakura mumbled.

"You better believe it, Sakura." Naruto whispered to her teammate. "We should have known that it wouldn't be that easy."

"Easy? You thought it was going to be easy?" Sakura said in shock.

"No not that easy but I thought that they would allow us to you know…" Naruto trailed off.

"I thought so too." Sakura said, nodding her head at her.

"As Hokage-sama indicated earlier, there will be many guests at the third test." Hayate said, drawing the two girls' attentions back to him. "So the fight could take too long, we limited in time…umm…so anyway…those who are not feeling well…those who feel like quitting after these explanations, please come forward now. Since we will be starting the preliminary immediately."

"What! Right now?" Kiba shouted in shocked.

The blond-haired girl arched her eyebrows at him before shaking her head at him in understanding. They may have been here for nearly four days now but they were still tired from the battles.

Only one person stepped forward and to Naruto's suspicion and surprise, it was Kabuto, who had raised his hand to them.

"Umm…I am going to quit." Kabuto said, smiling nervously at them.

"_He did the same thing last year and the year before that and at the around the same time as well."_ Minato said out loud, looking at the grey-haired boy with suspicion.

"_Aren't you over-reacting sensei?"_ Obito asked.

Naruto furrowed her eyebrows at this new piece of information and she looked at Kabuto in alarmed. Something wasn't right about him then, no one would do this four years straight not unless they were up to something.

"He is up to something." Naruto muttered under her breath. Sakura looked at her teammate in surprise and furrowed her eyebrows at her teammate's words.

"Umm…you are Yakushi Kabuto-kun from, Konoha, right? You may leave now." Hayate said with the occasional cough. He turned to everyone else and asked them, "Umm…does anyone else want to retire? Oh…umm…I forgot to tell you that from now on it will be individual battling."

"Kabuto-san, why are you quitting? I am sure that you want to move up a rank." Naruto asked, looking at the elder boy in fake curiosity. Gaara raised his non-existent eyebrow at the girl and the blond-haired girl rolled her eyes at him.

"I am sorry, Naruto-chan but my body is all beat up. Actually I haven't been able to hear out of my left ear from the time when I got attacked by the Sound nin before the first test and now we will have to risk our lives…I just…" Kabuto explained.

_He is lying. There is something much more then that after all I can see no signs of any injury and I will even go far as to say that he is healthy. Not only that his chakra reminds me of that sinister chakra that Sasuke had before. Is it possible that he might be working with that snake? Maybe I should inform the Hokage._

"Don't worry, I understand." Naruto said, smiling at him. She could hear the conversation between Anko and the Hokage about him, her lips curled into a frown when she hears the report that the lady was giving. So she wasn't the only one that thought something was wrong.

All the genins watched as Kabuto left them but only the Hokage, Anko and Naruto looked at him with suspicion. The three of them had a feeling that there was something wrong with that boy.

"Is there one else who wished to retire?" Hayate asked, giving them the occasional cough. The determined glaze from the genins in front of him gave him the answer that he needed.

"Now, let us begin the preliminary. This preliminary will consist of one on one fighting. You will basically fight as if in a real life confrontation." Hayate said. "Since we now have exactly 20 entrants, we will conduct 10 matches and the winners will advance to the third test. There are basically no rules, the fight continues until one of you dies or is knocked out or admits your defeat. If you don't want to die then quickly acknowledge your defeat. But when I decide that the winner has clearly established…since we don't want to pointlessly increase the amount of corpses, I will jump in and stop things."

Naruto lips curled into a small frown at his words. She looked at her fellow genins and her frowned deepened at the sight of their expression but the expression that worries her, the most was Sakura, who looked down right frighten.

"You will do just fine, Sakura." Naruto whispered to her teammate's ear. The pink-haired girl looked at her surprise for noticing her distress before giving a hesitant smile at her.

"_You have too much faith in this girl, Milady."_ Fugaku said, staring at the pink-haired girl in disgust._ "She barely has the chakra levels of a genin, what makes you think that she can hold her own against the other genins?"_

Naruto closed her eyes and reminded herself that punching the ghost will not solve her of this problem so instead she settled into giving the Uchiha Head the cold shoulder.

"And the object that controls your destiny is…this electric score-board will show the match-ups for each battle." Hayate said narrowing his eyes at the two girls both of whom gave him a sheepish smile. He then continued on, "Now, this is sudden but let us announce the two names of the first fight."

An electronic scoreboard was revealed above the statue of the ram hand sign that was behind him. It immediately said: Uchiha Sasuke vs. Akado Yoroi.

"The two participants in the first fight are Akado Yoroi and Uchiha Sasuke. Are you ready?" Hayate asked the two contestants.

"Yeah…" Sasuke answered.

"Yes." Yoroi said.

Hayate nodded and said to the reminding contestants, "Now, we will be starting the first match. Will everyone except the two participants move to the upper level?"

"Well aren't you a lucky bastard, Sasuke." Naruto said as she turned to leave to the upper levels. "Now you can strut your stuff for all the genins can see."

"Really? You can't make up a better comment?" Sasuke asked sarcastically.

"Nope, I feel too lazy to say something else." Naruto admitted, smiling at him. Her face turned serious and she whispered somberly, "But Sasuke don't use any chakra, that seal in your neck worries me."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked, touching the sealed curse seal on his neck hesitantly.

"I just remember what happened when you woke up and how strange your chakra was." Naruto answered. "It also feels vile if it make senses and I remember that it reacts to your chakra so please for everyone sake that you don't use it."

Sasuke didn't answer but the silence was all the reassurance that Naruto needed before going straight up to the upper levels.

"_Thank you for asking my son to not use his chakra."_ Mikoto said to the blond-haired girl as she stood beside Sakura. The blond-haired girl smiled grimly and tapped on the metal bars as a response to her in Morse code.

'_I am technically a messenger between you and Sasuke. And besides if not me who? I know just how bad that boy could be when it comes to fighting or training.'_ Naruto answered through Morse code.

She watched as Sasuke's opponent threw shurikans at him. The raven-haired teen used his kunais to block the attack but to Naruto's concern, she noticed that the older boy was still in pain. Maybe she should have told him not to fight, she didn't want him to get killed.

"_If I am not already dead, I would be dead now."_ Mikoto whimpered as she watched as Yoroi dodged Sasuke's attacks and had now began hurting the raven-haired teen.

The blond-haired girl nodded in understanding and unconsciously her eyes wander towards Gaara, who stood with his team across the other side. He looked at her and to her surprise; the corners of his lips were twitching as if he was trying to smile.

His mother Karura smiled at her and gave her a secret look as if she knew something that she didn't. Naruto shrugged her shoulders and thought to herself that it isn't anything important for her to know.

She returned her attention back to Gaara, who arched his non-existent eyebrows at her. The blond-haired girl smiled at him and the two of them stare at each other, waiting for the other to look away. Blue eyes bore into teal ones and for the first time since they met, Naruto noticed that Gaara looked kind of cute.

Naruto shook her head at her thought and Gaara gave her a small smirk, making her realize that she had lost the battle of wills. She scowled at him and made a mental note to tell him that she would beat him at this contest.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yelled, returning Naruto's attention back to Sasuke. The blond-haired girl's eyes widen as Yoroi took hold of Sasuke's forehead and to her horror and surprise, Yoroi was taking Sasuke's chakra away.

"Shit! This is not good!" Naruto said, shaking her head at the sight in front of them. "Sasuke got to have a plan up his sleeve because that guy over there is a dangerous enemy to have."

"What do you mean Naruto? Do you know what that guy is doing to Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked hysterically. "Because I have never seen such an attack like this before."

"Of course I know what the guy is doing to Sasuke." Naruto answered, giving her teammate an offence look. "He is draining Sasuke's chakra away and if things continue…"

"Yes if things continue..." Sakura pressed on.

The blond-haired girl frowned and said, "Well, I am afraid to say that there is a huge chance that he would have no other choice but to use that cursed seal on his neck."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"It is hard for me to explain but the best way to explain it, is that curse seal gives Sasuke an extra boost of chakra." Naruto answered tiredly.

"How did you notice about him draining Sasuke's chakra?" Sakura asked.

"Let us just say that it is a hunch." Naruto answered, looking at the black-haired boy in front of them with concern and worry. She knew that she should have faith in him.

The blond-haired girl sighed in relief as Sasuke kicked his opponent away from him but then frown in worry when she saw the tiredness in his eyes and the bags under his eyes. It seemed like her teammate had not been getting enough sleep again.

"You guinea pig…you still have power left?"

_Guinea pig?_ _I have a bad feeling about that guy in fact I have a bad feeling about that team as a whole. They both seemed and looked strange; I will even go, as far as to say that there are not normal humans._

"Uchiha Sasuke, is that it?" Gaara scoffed causing Naruto to cast an angry look at her friend. Maybe she should have taught him another lesson instead of fun; no matter how amusing and sad it was to see him not to understand the meaning of fun.

"Hey Sasuke, do you really call yourself a Uchiha! I am sure that your parents are rolling over their grave when they see that this is the best that you can do!" Naruto yelled at her teammate.

"_I am proud of my son for whatever accomplishment that he makes."_ Mikoto said stiffly.

"_Naruto is right, my son should do better than this!"_ Fugaku said, shaking his head at the sight in front of him. The blond-haired girl stifled the urge to glare at the ghost instead deciding to see her friend's reaction to her words.

Yoroi started to charge after Sasuke and everyone in the audience started to fear for the Uchiha heir life, none more so for Naruto and not only for her sake but for his deceased clan sake as well.

Naruto eyes widen in shock as Sasuke did the same move that Lee did earlier on him. After a few seconds, the blue-eyed girl cussed under her breath before glancing at Lee, who looked shock at the sight in front of him.

"Lee-san, correct me if I am wrong but that move isn't that your move?" Naruto asked, hoping that she was just imagining the sight in front of them.

Lee shook his head at her and answered shakily, "N-no that is my move, Naruto-chan."

The blond-haired girl pursed her lips at his answer and said to the older boy, "I am sorry for what my teammate has done. If it makes you feel better, I don't support what he has done to you in fact I disapprove it one hundred percent."

"Naruto, how can you say that?" Sakura asked in shock while Kakashi looked at his blond-haired student in alarm.

"Because Lee worked for it, Sasuke didn't. He doesn't know the limits of that move and frankly speaking, I wouldn't like it if the teme stole my ninjutsu moves as well." Naruto answered earnestly.

"B-but Naruto…" The blond-haired girl interrupted Sakura.

"Look Sakura, you don't understand why I disapprove it because frankly speaking, you only just got your act together." Naruto said, clenching her hands into a fist. "You don't understand how hard it is to work on a technique and then found it copy. So you don't talk."

"Now, Naruto don't you think that you are being harsh." Kakashi said, smiling uneasily at his blond-haired student.

"Nope." Naruto answered. "I am being honest, how would you feel if someone copied a technique that you yourself have worked so hard to achieve? I would feel completely pissed and I would have every right to be."

"Your student here is correct, what the Uchiha had done was very unyouthful indeed." Gai said, nodding his head at the blond-haired girl in front of them.

"Sasuke Uchiha is the winner," Hayate said, snapping everyone's attention back to the sight in front of them.

Naruto sighed at the sight in front of them. She seriously can't wait for the day when everything will come and bite Sasuke in the ass.

* * *

After Sasuke's fight, Shino fought Zaku Abumi, Sakura fought Ino, Tenten fought Temari, Kankuro fought Kabuto's other teammate, Shikamaru fought Kin Tsuchi.

Shino's fight was interesting if you ask Naruto as the boy had won by clogging the pipes inside Zaku's arms, which had exploded when the boy had attempted to attack him. An intelligent plans and made her think that she had to watch out for him.

Sakura and Ino's fight was a draw, which could have easily have been Ino's win if she hadn't gotten Sakura to waken the fighter's sprit inside of her. Both girls got knocked out as they punched each other right on the cheeks.

Tenten and Temari fight was very one-sided as the Suna kunoichi had the huge advantage of being able to use wind to deflect the bun's style girl attacks but to be fair Tenten had to change tactics after that realization.

Kankuro's fight was one that shock her to the core seeing as she thought that he was about to lose since his opponent was very flexible but the older boy had switched himself with his puppet, who had immediately attack the flexible boy.

Shikamaru ended up beating Kin by making her hit her head on the wall with his Shadow Possession Jutsu.

As soon as Tsumi was carried off by a medical-nin, the scoreboard lit up again. It said: Naruto vs. Kiba.

The blond-haired girl sighed in disappointment. She had hoped for a real opponent but then again, Kiba could be a warm up. She jumped down to the ground and resumed into a taijutsu stance.

Kiba jumped down shortly after Naruto did.

"The seventh match, Uzumaki Naruto vs. Inuzuka Kiba." Hayate said.

Kiba laughed and boasted, "It is like we have already won! So lucky eh, Akamaru?"

The blond-haired girl eyes twitch and it took all her will power not to punch the boy for the insult. She smiled at him and then said, "You never change do you Kiba? Do you not know the phrase don't judge a book by its cover?"

"What the hell does a book has to do with the match?" Kiba asked.

The blond-haired girl chuckled at his words, earning a lot of surprise looks from everyone else in the room. She gave him a sweet smile and answered, "It means that you shouldn't judge me by what you seen in the Academy if you think I am weak then I recommend you to get that little puppy of yours out-of-the-way."

"Akamaru fights with me." Kiba growled.

"But I thought that I am easy to beat so why do you need Akamaru then?" Naruto said, shrugging her shoulders at him. "Unless you are not as strong as you think you are. I mean a true man won't bring a dog into this fight but I wonder are you a man?"

Kiba growled at her insult and barked at Akamaru, "Stay out of it Akamaru, it is time that I teach this bitch whose boss."

"What did you call me?" Naruto asked twitching her ears at him.

"You heard me." Kiba said, smirking at her.

The blond-haired girl chuckled and before anyone realizes Naruto had punched Kiba on the nose. They watched in horror as the boy was slammed into the wall and the blond-haired girl simply cracked her fist.

"Call me a bitch again and I will make sure to send you to the hospital, friend or not!" Naruto growled.

On the balcony, Ino shuddered as she remembered how the blond-haired girl had been able to break several of her bones as well as damaging her organs and that was because she called her that word. Shikamaru and Choji looked at her with pity as they heard her whimper in fear.

Naruto did not notice that Ino was acting this way now the blond-haired girl was now flipping through a series of hand-signs. Water Release: Wild Water Wave.

They watched as a massive stream of water shot towards Kiba from Naruto's mouth, giving the boy no chance to get out of the wall. She did not feel merciful when someone called her that word in fact she was downright murderous.

Kiba moaned in pain as the water hit him and he wondered since when Naruto had gotten this stronger. He couldn't believe that the girl was this strong but she wasn't going to win. He was going to start fighting against her.

"You gotten stronger," Kiba, said as he coughed out of blood. "But I am going to win this fight." He used Ninja Art of Beast Mimicry: All-Fours Jutsu as a small taste of his power before he used his clan taijutsu. "Tunneling Fang," he said as he moved towards Naruto, spinning around with such speed that it looked like a gray whirlwind was coming at him.

Everyone watched in shocked as Naruto did a couple of hand-seals and out came a chain made of lightning. No one had expected the girl to do such a move none more so then her teammates and teacher.

On the balcony, Sakura, Kakashi and Sasuke started to talk about this technique that Naruto was using.

"Sensei, what is that move called?" Sakura asked as they watched Naruto wrapped that chain made of lightning around Kiba. She winced in sympathy as Kiba cried out of pain but it was that idiot fault for calling her a bitch.

"I don't know." Kakashi answered. "I think that it is an original move that Naruto has made but it surprise me that someone her age is able…"

"Is able to what?" Sasuke asked in interest and curiosity.

"To make up a jutsu." Kakashi admitted. "It is not an easy thing to do, it takes months even years to make one and to see Naruto do something like this…well it is extraordinary."

Kakashi looked at his blond-haired student in curiosity. The girl had always found ways to surprise him, first with her chakra control, second with her taijutsu but to see that the girl can make up her own jutsu just showed him how talented she is.

"_Naruto-chan is amazing isn't she, Kakashi? I wouldn't be surprise if she surpassed Minato-sensei!"_ Obito said to his teammate as they watched Kiba being carried away by the medics. The electric shock had knocked the boy unconscious. He wished that Kakashi could see and hear him because he had so many things to say about Naruto but being dead had it downsides. But he knew one day, he could tell his friend of Naruto's achievements.

* * *

Gaara looked at the blond-haired girl who had always seemed to catch his attention. Naruto was a strange girl but in a good way, she wasn't afraid of him even through she knew what he could do. He had thought of her as weak by the way she smiles so much but this battle told him that she wasn't weak.

He felt his curled into a smile when Naruto looked at him with a small smile on her lips. The few days that he had spent with her had been one of the happiest days of his life, she almost made him forget what he was but the mentioned of the mission had reminded him that they were going to invade Konoha.

He was now torn apart about the idea of invading Konoha, at one hand he will be able to please his mother but in the other hand Naruto was a Konoha-nin meaning that he would have to kill her. He didn't want to do that for some strange reason, killing her made him feels strange.

"Gaara, are you alright?" Temari asked, noticing the strange look on her brother's face.

"Temari, why is it when I think of killing Uzumaki that my heart starts to become painful and why do I feel like that I had to protect her? And why does my heartbeat becomes faster when she smiles at me?" Gaara asked as he watched Naruto cheer on the female Hyuga.

Temari looked at him in shock before answering hesitantly, "It means that you like her."

"Like her?" Gaara asked.

"Yes, do you feel like the mere idea of her getting hurt makes you angry?" Temari asked hesitantly. The redhead boy hesitated before nodding his head at her causing her eyes to widen at this revelation. Of all the times, he had to have feelings it had to be a Konoha-nin. "Well, then I say you have a crush on her."

"What should I do then?" Gaara asked, looking at her in curiosity.

The sandy-blond kunoichi frowned and answered, "I don't know Gaara. Why don't you tell her how you feel? It might make you feel better."

"So telling her how I feel will make me feel better." Gaara said.

Karura watched this in amusement and happiness. Her youngest son had feelings for the blond-haired girl and she wished that she could be there to guide him about what he should do. She wonders if Naruto felt the same way as Gaara or not.

She didn't want her son to be heartbroken but for some strange feeling she knew that Naruto had the same feelings as Gaara. Now the question was how long before the two get together? She might be taking it too far but she liked Naruto and personally she didn't believe any of the girls in Suna can make her son happy.

But the best she can do now was to watch them and hope that the two of them will get together.

* * *

**Author Note: Please review.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author Note: I would like to thank everyone that reviewed the last chapter and had added this to their story alerts or favorite story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto through I wished that I did.**

* * *

Naruto watched in silence and anger as the Medic-nins carried Hinata away from the arena. Hesitantly, the blond-haired girl walked back to the upper-levels but not before casting a heated glare at Neji.

As she took her place between her teammates, Naruto thought of the people who should be blamed for Hinata's condition. She couldn't help but blame the senseis for Hinata's condition, obviously she blamed Neji, as he was the one that did it but mostly she blamed herself.

It was all her fault that her friend was now in critical condition. If she hadn't encourage Hinata then none of this would have happened, the very least what would have happened would be Hinata forfeiting but no she just had to encourage her.

She looked down to Neji, who had a huge smirk on his face, and clenched her hands into a fist. The bastard was going to pay for what he had done to her friend because no one messes with her friend and gets away from it.

"Naruto, are you alright?" Sakura voice snapped her out of her train of thoughts.

The blond-haired turned her head to look at her teammate and was taken back by the concern look in her eyes. She looked at Sasuke and Kakashi and noticed that they also looked worried about her.

"I am fine." Naruto lied. "Why wouldn't I be? It isn't like…"

She couldn't finish the sentence in fear that if she does finish the sentence that she would break down and murder Neji. Naruto tightened her grip on the rail and took several calming breaths.

"But I am going to get payback for Hinata!" Naruto declared to her teammates. Sakura and Sasuke looked surprise at her declaration, both of them never seen the blond-haired girl so worked up before.

"_What he did was certainly bad."_ Minato said, looking at Neji with a mixture of anger and pity._ "But not completely understandable."_

Naruto frowned at her sensei's words and gave him a questionable look. The Yondaime Hokage smiled sadly at her but explain his words about it being understandable.

"Stop blaming yourself, dope." Sasuke said. "It isn't your fault that she is in this condition."

The blond-haired girl looked at him in surprise and asked, "And what makes you think that I am blaming myself, teme? For all you know I might have been comparing you to some of the guys here, I might even been day-dreaming about one of them."

Sasuke arched his eyebrows at her in disbelief while Sakura looked at her in shock, Kakashi in the other hand chuckled at her words. She gave her teammate a smirk and returned her attention back to the electronic scoreboard.

"You are kidding right." Sakura said. "Because Sasuke-kun is better looking than any of the guys here."

The blond-haired girl smiled at them and said, "Really? I honestly think that there are a few boys here that are just as good-looking as Sasuke or even better."

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows at her while Sakura simply looked at her in disbelief. Naruto frowned at them before shrugging her shoulders at them, she just gave them her opinion and they acted like this. It just shows her that she can't be honest with them.

"A-and who do you think is as good-looking as Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked giving her teammate a look of curiosity. She had never really thought that Naruto liked guys because that girl had never looked at a guy in a romantic way.

"Why should I tell you?" Naruto asked narrowing her eyes at her teammate. She didn't noticed the look of jealously that Sasuke had thrown to some of the other boys in the room or if she did notice, she didn't comment.

"I am just curious." Sakura admitted. "I mean I have never once seen you show any interest at any guy during the Academy."

Naruto sighed at her teammate's words and answered dryly, "Just because I didn't chased after boys like you didn't mean that I didn't like any boys. I cared more about being a kunoichi then dating but everybody knew that."

Sasuke nodded his head at her words, everyone in the Academy did knew that Naruto cared more about being a serious kunoichi then dating. It was one of the reasons why they got along,

"Now, let the 9th match begin!" Hayate said, reminding Team Seven that the match was about to begin.

Naruto looked down to the arena and was surprised to see that it was Gaara fighting against Lee. Immediately, she began to worry but not about Gaara no she was completely worried about Lee.

She had spend nearly a week with Gaara but one week can't change a person and she didn't expect the redhead to immediately to become all nice and not have a killer instinct even if it would be nice. The chances of Lee wining this match was extremely slim unless the boy knew a way around the defensive system.

For five minutes, the two boys didn't do anything except stand in silence but Lee must have been fed-up with waiting because the boy had immediately started to use his taijutsu against Gaara, which was completely useless if you ask Naruto as Gaara had a shield of sand protecting him.

The sand immediately pushed Lee away but that didn't stop Lee from doing a frontal assault to Gaara but the same result happened again. Naruto frowned and wondered what was the weakness of this shield of sand, Karura hadn't told her about its weakness and she doubt that she would tell her.

"Lee-san's fast movements are having no effect." Sakura said.

"Of course not." Naruto snapped. "The Shield of Sand protects Gaara from any physical attacks."

Her team and Gai looked at her in shock and Naruto blushed as she realized that she had in a way admitted that she knew the technique that Gaara was using. Maybe it would be a good idea if she kept her mouth shut from now on.

"And how do you know this?" Sasuke asked giving his blond teammate a questioning look.

"Do you remember how I told you that if I hadn't done the trade-off that it might have been a life and death situation?" Naruto asked the black-haired teen. He nodded his head at her and his eyes widen at the realization of what she was telling him.

"You mean to tell me that you did the trade-off with…"

"Yes." Naruto said. "Gaara killed a team of Ame-nins without getting a single scratch on him and they had a dangerous weapon with them but even that didn't harm him."

Sakura and Gai started to turn pale at her words while Sasuke tighten his grip on the rail. Naruto felt guilty for telling them this but in her defense they asked and she had for once decided to be honest to them.

"Would he be able to win if he uses ninjutsu?" Sakura asked Naruto.

The blond-haired girl pursed her lips at them and watched Lee punching the wall of sand before frowning. She started to ponder on the reason why the elder genin wasn't using ninjutsu before starting to connect the dotes but she wasn't certain until she can get Sakura to confirm it.

"Sakura when Lee fought against Oto-nins had he used any ninjutsu?" Naruto asked.

"No, why do you ask?" Both Sakura and Sasuke looked at her in curiosity.

"I wonder…" Naruto mumbled. She looked at Gai and then asked, "Sensei can Lee-san do any ninjutsu at all? I am sure that Lee-san would use ninjutsu if he could but he isn't so can he do any ninjutsu?"

"You are very sharp, Naruto." Gai said, smiling at her. "Lee-san can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu."

Sakura and Sasuke looked shocked at this revelation while Naruto in the other hand smiled grimly at this news. It made complete sense to her on why the boy as fast as he was and why he didn't use any ninjutsu move at all on Gaara, he just can't.

"Impossible!" Sakura said. "If he can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu then how did he get this far?"

Naruto chuckled and her teammates looked at her in surprise before asking in unison, "What is so funny?"

"There is an advantage in not being able to use chakra." Naruto said, nodding her head at the fight in front of them. "If he can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu then he can focus his techniques on taijutsu."

"Yes that it is correct." Gai said. "It is rare to find a ninja that can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu."

They all returned their attention back to Lee, who was now running away from the sand that was trying to grab him. Lee jumped onto the stature of the ram hand seal. It was obvious that Lee was in the corner.

"And for that reason Lee is going to win." Gai informed them. The three genins looked at each other and wondered what the eccentric man meant by that.

"LEE! TAKE THEM OFF!" Gai yelled to Lee.

"Huh?" Sakura asked.

"Hn?" was the response from both Sasuke and Kakashi.

"What does he mean by that?" Naruto asked herself.

"_You will find out."_ Minato said as he gave a small smile to the blond-haired girl. She gave him a scowl, which caused both Minato and Obito to chuckle at her, which made her scowl even more.

But apparently Lee knew what Gai was talking about because the older genin looked at him in shocked and protested, "But! But Gai-sensei! That's only for a time when I must protect many precious people isn't it?"

Gai smiled at his student and gave him thumbs up. "It is alright! I allow it!"

Lee grinned and started to take out his leg warmers, showing everyone in the audience that he had been wearing weights. Gaara was taken back at this revelation while Naruto had a bad feeling for both Lee and Gaara about what was going to happen.

"Weights?" Sakura asked.

"Isn't that…" Sasuke trailed off.

"Alright! Now I can move easier!" Lee declared.

He immediately dropped the weights and everyone in the audience was taken back by the fact that it was so heavy that it would cause a huge sound.

_Isn't that a bit much, Gai?_ Kakashi thought as he slapped his hand on his face. He glanced at his students and noticed that Naruto was also looking at Gai in disbelief, he was glad to see that one his students agreed with him.

"Lee! Go!" Gai said as he gave his student the signal to attack Gaara. Lee smirked and immediately started to attack Gaara and this time his attacks were now faster than Gaara's shield to the amazement of his teammates and Naruto.

"Because he can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu, Lee spent all his time on taijutsu…he worked hard and concentrated everything on taijutsu." Gai explained. "Even if he can't do any other jutsu, he won't lose to anyone…he is a taijutsu specialist."

Naruto lips curled into a small frown but the frown was soon replaced with a look of worry as she watched Lee give Gaara a kick on the head.

"Lee won't lose in speed to anyone," Gai said proudly. "I warned you earlier that this kid is strong."

The blond-haired girl gave a cautionary glance to Gai and asked, "While that may be good and everything, wouldn't it also be a good idea to make sure he can use kenjutsu just as well as taijutsu?"

"Hmm?" Gai looked at her in interest while Sakura and Sasuke looked at her in surprise.

"He needs an advantage in long-distance as well." Naruto said dryly. "It would be a good idea if he learned a weapon as well, I think the bow and arrow would be a good idea seeing you need to be quick while drawing them." She then added thoughtfully. "Just because he can't use genjutsu or ninjutsu doesn't mean he can't use kenjutsu, he still needs to have some balance in his skills."

"Naruto is right Gai." Kakashi said causing Naruto to looked at him in shocked. Not once had she heard him say those words to her through he was saying that to Gai but still.

"Yes that would be a good idea." Gai said, nodding his head at them. Naruto gave him a small tentative smile and returned to paying attention to the fight in front of her. She rolled her eyes as she heard Gai yelling out to Lee to explode.

It was starting to become increasingly obvious that Gaara's shield of Sand couldn't keep up against Lee's speed. The redhead boy was now being injured as the result of the sand not being able to protect him on time.

"Incredible." Sasuke muttered.

"I know." Naruto said.

"The wall of sand can't keep up at all. A major blow!" Sakura squealed. The blond-haired reluctantly nodded her head at her, not only was that a major blow but her eyes couldn't keep up with Lee's speed and that was saying something.

She could hear laughter and this laughter gave her the chills. It was the type of laughter that you would expect from a maniac. It didn't scare her the fact that the sand was covering him no the laughter scared her.

"_Milady, you better hope that this boy won't be caught by this Gaara."_ One of Gaara's ghosts said. _"He will be dead."_

"L-Lee is in trouble now." Naruto whimpered, realizing the true depth of trouble that Lee will be in.

Everyone looked at her in shocked and waited for her to explain why she would say such a thing like that but she didn't. Naruto just couldn't explain to them, not without becoming worried for Lee and Gaara.

"Naruto do you know something that we don't?" Sakura asked.

The blond-haired girl turned to them and everyone was surprise by the paleness in her face. "I d-don't know why but I have a feeling that…" she couldn't finish the sentence not without feeling sick to her stomach.

"You have a feeling that what?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto shook her head at them and returned her attention back to the fight at hand. She watched as Gaara reign himself in and manipulated the sand into armor.

"_I haven't seen Gaara use the armor of sand in a long time." _Karura said as she stood beside Naruto._ "If he using this then his mind is completely on defense."_

Sakura looked at Naruto and noticed how her eyes were always on the bloodthirsty redhead. The past few days she hadn't seen her teammate a lot but now looking at her, she noticed that Naruto looked slightly older and maybe even more mature.

"Is that all?" Gaara asked.

Naruto tighten her grip on the rails as Gaara said this. She didn't need to look at him to know just how much he was itching to hurt Lee; all she needed to do was just to look at the ghosts beside him. They knew him better than anyone alive all except maybe his teammates and probably her.

Lee started to circle around Gaara, which caused the redhead to be impatient. Normally Naruto would simply scold him for not being that patient but not now, she was just so damn frighten for Lee.

"Dope, are you alright?" Sasuke asked, noticing again how pale Naruto looked.

The blond-haired girl gave him a tentative smile and answered, "I am just so damn worried for Lee-san."

"He isn't your teammate." Sasuke pointed out dryly.

Naruto put her hands on her hips and he winced, realizing what was going to happen now. "He may not be my teammate but he did save your sorry behind when I wasn't there! So that means you have to be grateful for him for doing that!" she scolded. "I don't want him to get so seriously injured that he can't become nin or…"

"Or what?" Sasuke asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Dead." Naruto whispered so softly. "Gaara is a nice guy but his mind is so fragile, sometimes I see a really good guy but not now, now I see insanity."

"He certainly doesn't look like a good guy." Sasuke muttered.

The blond-haired girl glared at him and hissed, "Well at times you can be really sweet but most of the time you are bastard!"

He looked at her in shock but Naruto was completely pissed off with her teammate to apologize. Gaara was a lot of things but he does have some good, she had seen it when they spend time together.

She shook her head and looked at the fight in front of them. Her eyes widen in shock as she watched Lee wrapped Gaara around with the bandages and began to rotate the two of them as they began to fall headfirst.

At the last second, Lee kicked off of Gaara, allowing him to crash to the floor. As he crashed to the ground, Naruto did a silent prayer that Gaara wouldn't be hurt too much from the impact.

Gaara crashed head first into the ground and a huge crater was formed. Lee had landed on his hands and pushed himself into doing a couple of backflips before Gaara had landed to the ground completely.

"Lee-san won!" Sakura yelled in glee.

Naruto bit her lips in concern when she saw Gaara's battered body. He really needed to go to the hospital, he might be seriously injured or worse he might be… she shook her head at her thought. She shouldn't think like that but still the idea of him being dead made her heart feel pain, which was a strange feeling.

"Yes!" Gai said pumping his fist.

Naruto turned around to scold the two of them from behaving like this but stopped when she realized something. There was the one-minute that Lee stopped, was it possible that Gaara might have…? It was very likely, as anyone could have taken that moment to free themselves or at least find a proper landing.

"Don't be so happy yet." Naruto said to them.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

The blond-haired girl pointed towards Gaara's body and everyone gasped as they realized that the sight in front of them wasn't the real Gaara. Sakura looked at her in shock but Naruto ignored her.

"When did he leave the sand?" Gai asked. "There is no way Lee could have miss that!"

"It was when you closed your eyes to pray, Gai. Lee stopped his body for a moment because of the pain…it was then…"

Kakashi didn't finish the sentence as Gaara had suddenly appeared from the sand. He had the same craze look from before and before he even realized Gaara had summoned the sand to attack Lee. The tidal wave of sand slammed Lee against the wall.

"Why didn't Lee-san dodge it?" Sakura asked.

Naruto looked at Gai in interest to hear his explanation. Sasuke raised his eyebrows at her, which caused her to give him a sweet smile, and lightly punched the boy on the shoulder for questioning her.

"That lotus technique is a double-edged sword…" Gai began.

"It is normally a forbidden technique. All that high speed taijutsu puts a lot of stress on the legs and the body," Kakashi said, taking off Gai's explanation. Naruto arched her eyebrows at her sensei and he ruffled her hair causing her to glare at him. "Right now he is feeling so much pain that he can barely move…right Gai?"

As Kakashi said this, Lee was slammed to the floor to the displeasure of Sakura and Naruto, who was now looking at the fight with even more worry.

"No way…" Sakura said.

"You need to believe it, Sakura." Naruto said quietly. "Because denying it won't make it go away, it will just make things even worse."

The sand was rising again and Naruto knew in that moment if Lee were to be caught by the sand then any chance of him surviving would be zero. Was it insane for her to think that maybe Gaara won't kill him or seriously injure him? It was but she always believed in the best of people and Gaara wasn't any different.

"At this rate, Lee-san will…" Sakura and Sasuke looked down at their feet both of them didn't feel comfortable to finish the sentence.

"Yes, at this rate Lee-san will be seriously injured or worse be killed in cold blood." Naruto said coolly. "The chances of him not getting any serious injuries are just the same chance of me loosing a game of poker."

"And just how big a chance that is, dope?" Sasuke asked. "And since when did you know how to play poker?"

"How do you think I pay my bills? That I go and get job when we were in the Academy! No, the money the Hokage gives isn't enough to pay my bills so the best thing I could do was gamble for money." Naruto said, surprising everyone around her with this admission. "I almost always win my games to the disappointment of the gamblers."

"Dope, do you know that it is illegal?"

"Of course I know it is illegal," Minato didn't stop whining to her about the fact that she does illegal gambling. "But I don't have a deceased clan unlike some people in this village." Sasuke winced at the reminder and scowled at her. "And besides I make a lot of money from it and receive a lot of information from it as well."

"How much money?" Sakura asked, looking at her in curiosity.

"_Enough money that can last her a life time."_ Obito grumbled._ "I don't know how a person can be that good in gambling! If Naruto looses a game, I tell you that bad luck will happen!"_

Naruto chuckled at the ghost's words and answered cryptically, "Just enough for a kid like me."

Her teammates looked at her in curiosity while Kakashi frowned at Naruto. He had known that the blond teen had troubled paying the bills but he hadn't thought that she would do something as illegal as gambling. He looked at the blond-haired girl and realized that he had failed his sensei's wish about the girl but taking care of her was hard even he would admit this.

Naruto was just too independent and self-reliant that she rarely asks for help from him. At times he wonders if the girl had ever depended on an adult but her sarcastic humor suggests that she never had an adult that she depended through he didn't blame her. No adult in this village would help her because of the demon inside of her but while it may make people weaker, it made her stronger then most people. And at times, Kakashi believes that one day just one day that she might even surpass her own father.

"Kakashi-sensei if you keep staring at me like that, I am afraid that I am going to confiscate your books." Naruto said dryly, snapping him from his thoughts.

"Now, Naruto-chan aren't you being overboard about that?" Kakashi said, chuckling at his blond-haired student with unease.

The blue-eyed girl arched her eyebrows at him and answered, "Really? Maybe I should give those books to Anko, she seemed like she is the wild type but maybe you rather prefer those types in fact she might even teach a lesson on respecting ladies."

Sakura and Sasuke stifled their laughter as their sensei looked at Naruto in shock while the blond-haired girl had a small weary smile playing on her lips. It was times like these that Naruto knew that she wouldn't give up her teammates for anything in the world.

Sakura returned her attention back to Lee and was horrified at the sight of the older genin ready to attack the sand approaching him. "Lee-san, no! Anymore and you will die!"

Team Seven were shocked to see Lee running away from the offending sand and they all looked at Gai for explanation. He gave them a smile and Naruto had an uneasy feeling about what he was going to say to them.

"Lee-san is smiling…even through he is getting pushed around…" Sakura began, prompting for the sensei to begin explaining to them.

"No, now the tables will turn." Gai said.

"Huh?" was Sakura intelligent response.

Sasuke looked at him in interest and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Yes how will the tables turn now?" Naruto asked, looking at the thick-eyebrow man with suspicion.

"The lotus of the leaf blooms twice!" Gai said cryptically.

Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other to see if they have any idea if they knew what he meant. They glanced at Naruto, who seemed deep in thought, before frowning at the sight. Usually when the blonde was like that, it either meant she was truly concentrating or was just pretending to be.

"Naruto do you know what he meant?" Sakura asked Naruto hesitantly.

The blond-haired girl pursed her lips and admitted, "Do I look like somebody that knows taijutsu? Of course I don't know."

"Wait a second, dope, what makes you say that he is talking about taijutsu?" Sasuke asked, looking at his teammate with curiosity and interest. The blond-haired girl arched her eyebrows at him and muttered something about someone being less self-centered.

"Isn't it obvious? Even an old lady will know what he is talking about. " Naruto said sarcastically. "The moves that they called have something to do with lotus so it is only logical to think that it has something to do with taijutsu and something dangerous through I doubt it, I mean no sensei is you know is insane enough to teach their student a dangerous technique. Through I wonder if Gai-sensei did do that to Lee? It seems very likely."

Kakashi frowned as he listened to his student's explanation and realized what Gai had taught Lee. Insane indeed, what was Gai thinking when he taught Lee this technique.

"Gai! You didn't…" Kakashi didn't bother finishing the sentence.

"It is exactly as you and your student think." Gai said.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Naruto pointed out dryly. "All I said is that you might have taught him a dangerous move other than that I don't know what you taught him."

Kakashi ignored her words instead he narrowed his eyes at Gai and said, "Then that genin kid will… the 'eight celestial inner body gates'…"

"Yeah," Gai said, nodding his head. "He will open them."

Team Seven and Neji looked at the two senseis in curiosity well Sakura, Sasuke and Neji did while Naruto simply gave the two of them a shock look. She heard of the technique, one of the ghosts had told her about it but surely it couldn't be that technique.

"He had the ability…" Gai began.

"Even if he had the ability, such a dangerous technique like that…!" Kakashi said, looking at Gai in anger. "The extreme lotus is one technique that shouldn't be taught."

_What was Gai-sensei thinking by teaching Lee? That technique is forbidden and had been for the past couple of decades even the ghosts who used all eight had never moved on. How many can he open? Now this had gone from worse to something even more bad._

"Gai how many of the eight celestial gates can that kid open!?" Kakashi said, snapping Naruto from her thoughts. The blond-haired girl bit her lips anxiously as she waited for his answer.

"Five gates."

"What is all this about?" Sasuke asked.

"What are these eight celestial gates things?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi and Gai opened their mouths to answer the question but to the two senseis surprise it was Naruto of all people that answered the question.

"You can say that they are limiters." Naruto began but Sakura interrupted her.

"Limiters?" Naruto glared at her and Sakura flinched at the coldness of her teammate's glaze.

"Yes, in the inner coils of the body that chakra flows through, there are eight spots. These eight gates are known as: the initial gate, the heal gate, the life gate, the harm gate, the limit gate, the view gate, the wonder gate and…" Naruto gave them a dark look and answered gravely, "the death gate. These as I said before are the eight gates."

"You just gave us the name of the gates." Sasuke pointed out dryly.

"_Don't interrupt Naruto-chan!"_ Mikoto scolded her son.

"I was just getting to that," Naruto said through gritted teeth. "Now as I said before these eight gates are limiters, which means in this case they are constantly working to limit the amount of chakra flows in the body."

"I see." Sakura said, before frowning at them. "Then what is Lee planning to do?"

Kakashi took over the explanation and explained to the three of them that the extreme lotus makes the user opened all eight gates and how it destroys the user body and the power was ten times more powerful then before.

"For example, the initial lotus is done by opening just the first gate." Gai said.

"I see," Naruto gave them a cautious look and said. "Then if he opened all eight gates the chances of him dying is extremely high isn't that right?"

Kakashi and Gai gave each other a pained look while Sasuke and Sakura were sicken at what their teammate had just asked.

"If he were to open all eight gates then yes he will die, Naruto." Kakashi said reluctantly to the blond-haired girl. "This technique is truly a double-edged sword and yes by opening all eight gates, he will die but before that in that short period of time, you will gain strength that surpasses Hokage."

Naruto turned around and looked at Lee, whose skin was now starting to turn red. For the first time in her life, she was deeply terrified of the end result of a battle, she never really thought of the end result but now she does.

After opening the fourth gate, Lee immediately kicked Gaara on the chin, which sent the boy flying up in the air. The blond-haired girl looked around anxiously, searching for any signs of the two boys.

"Where the bloody hell are they?" Naruto asked her teammates.

Sasuke and Sakura furrowed their eyebrows and started to scan the area for the two boys but it was the raven-haired teen that spotted them as he had shouted at her to look above them.

"_Who knew that Lee-san would use such dangerous moves."_ Mikoto said as she watched in awe as Lee beat Gaara like he was playing a game of pool. Naruto winced at the reminder and bit her lips as she watched the redhead get hurt.

"This is the end!" Lee announced.

The blond-haired girl closed her eyes and silently prayed for the two boys sakes that neither one of them would get killed. She couldn't stand the idea of them being killed especially when she had gotten to know them well. Just the mere idea made her want to vomit and that was not a feeling that she liked.

"Awwww!"

Naruto opened her eyes and looked down, her eyes widen in horror when she realized what Gaara had done to Lee. She knew that she couldn't change something about the redhead and she had seen him kill but to see it up close and personal just made it worse. Her eyes harden and she realized now why she had a better reason on changing the boy, she shouldn't do this because a ghost asked her too but because she should show him that there is another way to live.

Sasuke looked at Naruto to see her reaction and he was taken back by the hardness in her eyes. He had never seen her with that look on her face but he could also see a hidden emotion in her eyes, worry perhaps? But why was Naruto worried? He didn't think she had known Lee that well.

"Why did you save…?" Gaara asked.

The raven-haired teen watched his teammate carefully and noticed how her eyes seemed to be softening at that boy, no _monster_, Sasuke corrected himself. He didn't understand how she could look at the boy like that, he nearly killed Lee but she gave those types of eyes to him. She shouldn't. The boy might end up killing her.

His throat dried up at the thought of Naruto being murdered by the redhead. The blond-haired girl was not only his crush; she had been the first person not to look at him with pity, the first person to get him out of his moodiness. She didn't treat him like the fangirls instead she had always bicker with him or at the very least tried to make him smile and that may be one of the reasons why he liked her.

"How can you look at him like that?" Sasuke asked Naruto quietly.

The blond-haired girl arched her eyebrows at him in confusion and asked, "What do you mean teme? How can I look at who like that?"

"You know who." Sasuke whispered as they watched them carry Lee away. He watched as a couple of emotions battled inside of her but before he knew it, a cool mask was in front of him.

"I don't know why I give him such looks." Naruto answered as she leaned against the wall. "I shouldn't not after what he did but yet…" she trailed off and she shook her head at him and answered firmly, "But whatever you thinking teme, it isn't like that."

He didn't know whether she was assuring himself or her but it didn't ease his worries for her.

* * *

The last match was over and done with but unsurprisingly it was Dosu who had won as he had used the contraption in his arm on Choji and made the chubby boy's ears bleeding. Naruto was glad to see that the boy didn't had serious damage like some of the other contestant but she was slightly worried for him.

Now all the winners from the previous match were now down in the arena floor, waiting for Hayate and the Hokage to tell them what they were about to do. The blond-haired girl gave a weary look to her teammate, who simply nodded his head in agreement with her about it being too much.

"Congratulations to all of you who had won the rights to compete in the 'third round exam' in the chuunin exam." Hayate said, giving them the occasional cough. He looked at the Hokage, gesturing for him to come up to the front and whispered to him. "Ah well then, Hokage-sama if you would please…"

"Yes." Hiruzen said, nodding his head at him.

He went and stand in the same place that Hayate had once stood. He looked at the winners of the preliminaries but his eyes linger at Naruto, who gave him a lazy grin but he could definitely see that she was regaining her energy back if the little bounce of her feet told him anything.

He tilted his hat and said, "Now I would like to start explaining the main test."

Naruto grinned at this announcement, her eyes already lighting up as she thought about how the third exam might be like. She hoped that it was more adventurous than the others because while the second test was adventurous, it had snakes and Naruto hated them with a passion. No, she hoped it might be more difficult.

"As I told you before, in the main event, your matches will be seen by everybody." Hiruzen said, drawing Naruto's attention back on him. "Each of you will fight to represent the strengths of your countries. I would like you to show off all your powers with no reserves. Which is why the finals will be held one month away."

"Please tell me that you are not joking!" Naruto said to the Old Hokage as her eyes lit up with humor. "Because if you tell me that we are fighting again, I have half a mind to play a joke on you for giving such a cruel joke."

"No, Naruto this is not a joke." Hiruzen said, shaking his head in amusement at the blonde. "This break you can say will be for preparations."

"What does that mean?"

_For a prodigy he is sure dumb! What the bloody hell would Oji-san be talking about when he says preparations? Did he think we would be off planning some party! Through a party would be nice especially one with those western soft drinks. Those are the best._

"In addition to informing all the various country lords and shinobis leaders, this is the time needed to arrange for the gathering of the event," Hiruzen said, snapping Naruto from her musing. "And this is also the preparation time for you examination students."

"I don't understand what you are trying to say! What does that mean?" Kankuro asked, looking at the Hokage in anger. His mother gave him a disapproving look, which caused Naruto to curl her lips in amusement.

"Basically, it is the preparation to get to know your enemy and yourself." Hiruzen explained. "It is the time period where you will calculate your chances of winning by analyzing the data you accumulated during the trial competition. The assumption of fighting an unknown opponent."

Everyone looked at each other wearily and each of them thought of an opponent that they had to look out for. Each of them were surprised by how strong or how smart the opponent was.

"However, the final trial will not be like this." Hiruzen said as he waited for each of them to finish consuming his words. "There are those who showed all that they can do already to their rivals, there are those who competed and were badly injured against a strong opponent. To make everything fair, the one-month should be used by all of you to advance and improve yourselves. Of course, it will be fine to rest your body as well."

Naruto frowned, already knowing what she was going to do for the next month. She couldn't laze around; she needed to get strong enough so that she can have a chance to defeat Gaara without using her furry little problem.

"And that the way it is," Hiruzen said, giving them a small smile at the young genins before continuing, "there is something that has to be done for the finals before I can do that."

"Really now? Can you tell us what it is Hokage-sama?" Naruto asked politely, "Because I am sure many of us would like to start our training or in some cases rest."

"Don't be too impatient now." Hiruzen said, chuckling at her. "There are pieces of paper inside of the box that Anko is holding so each of you take one piece."

"I will come around, so wait your turn." Anko said.

All nine of them took a piece of paper from the box. Naruto couldn't help but feel that they drew lots for their death sentence.

"All right, you all took a piece." Hiruzen said. "Now then, I would like you to tell us the number on that paper in order starting from the left."

"Eight." Dosu said.

"I got the lucky number one." Naruto said unhappily.

"Four," Sasuke said.

"Seven," Temari said.

"Five," Kankuro said.

"Three," Gaara said, glancing at Naruto who hadn't notice the glance from him.

"Nine." Shikamaru said.

"2." Neji said.

"6." Shino said.

"All right, now I will reveal to you the final tournament!" Hiruzen announced. Naruto sighed as she stuffed the piece of paper into her pocket as she ignored the knowing look on Minato's face.

"Huh!" Shikamaru yelled. "That is what we drew numbers for?!"

Hiruzen nodded and gestured for Ibiki to show them the match up. Naruto grinned evilly when she saw that she was fighting against Neji, she will get payback for Hinata and she will defeat the boy even if it was the last thing she would do.

"Are there any questions?" Hiruzen asked.

"Since it's a tournament, it would mean that there is only one winner, right?" Shikamaru asked. "Does that mean that only one person can become a chunin?"

Hiruzen shook his head at them and explained, "No! That is not quite it. There will be judges including myself, Kazekage, lords of various countries that will make mission requests and other ninja leaders, who will be watching the final test. Throughout the tournament, these judges will be evaluating your abilities those judged have the necessary qualities of a chuunin will be able to become a chunin even if they lost in their first match."

"That means that it is a possibility that everyone here will become a chuunin?" Temari asked.

"Yes." Hiruzen said. "But also the possibility that no one will become a chuunin! To advance in the tournament means that you will have more chances to appeal to the judges."

When no one spoke, the Hokage said, "Thank you for all of the effort you have exerted thus far. You are all dismissed until one month from now."

Naruto couldn't help but feel it will be a long one month but she didn't mind, it gave her enough time to speak to the Yondaime ghost if he could train her in some of the jutsus that he had.

* * *

**Author Note: Please review.**


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